Trusting Fate
by Jezebel Montgomery
Summary: A Summer of defending Pirates Swoop against frequent pirate raids leads to more complications than anyone expected. KelDom
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer:**__ I surrender everything and anything to Tamora Pierce. Even the original ideas are hers since, since it was her work that sparked our imagination._

CHAPTER 1

Laughter sounded from within the halls of the Western wing of the Palace. The long corridors of the halls were lined with doors set far apart, name plates were mounted on the left hand side of the entrances and the crests of the nobility housed within were nailed to the door itself. The wing housed knights and their families when they visited Corus from their outlying estates, who normally barred their doors to the bustle of everyday life of palace staff and inhabitants. This day was different.

Late spring sunlight streamed through the floor to ceiling windows set at the end of the halls, allowing a view of the training grounds below. Younger members of nobility were clustered around them, pointing and chattering. Many wore the yellow and red colors of palace pages, others were dressed in the finest fashions. Adults lingered among them, talking softly in some instances and joining in their raucous behavior in others.

The doors to almost every suite of rooms were open and people flowed in and out of rooms equally crowded with people. Pages offered trays of refreshments to men and women who bantered in conversation. Near the windows, holding a wine goblet in one hand, stood a tall man dressed in deep blue and silver. An arm band named him a Captain of the King's Own and his sapphire blue eyes sparkled with mirth as he clapped a slightly younger man of similar resemblance on the shoulder.

"Well, Sir Meathead, how does it feel to officially announce the birth of Queenscove's heir?" Captain Domitan of Masbolle asked loudly. Cheers sounded and then dimmed as they waited for the man's answer.

"Spectacular, Cousin, since it has dimmed my desire to run you through for using that dratted name" was the sharp tongued answer. "Watch out or I will revoke your duties as Godsfather." Laughter sounded.

Dom smiled, bowing in submission to his cousin's sarcasm. Everyone in the room knew how proud he was that Neal had chosen him and his wife as their young son's Godsparents. Seeing as the couple had no children of their own yet, it was known the child would be spoiled.

"I would like to see you tell my wife that. I'm fairly certain she would drag you to the practice courts to convince you to change your mind." Dom grinned at his cousin's scowl.

"Yes. Keladry does have some methods of persuasion that many would prefer not to require. Where is your darling wife?" Neal asked.

"She is with your beautiful wife and my adorable Godschild. Now that you mention it, I may go find her. Drink to health, cousin" Dom downed the rest of his wine and placed the cup on a tray, leaving their circle of friends to weave his way through the guests in the hallway.

Queenscove was an old duchy and it was expected that many would attend the celebrations of Neal and Yuki's baby boy's official blessing. Dom shook his head and grinned, deep down knowing that everyone who looked his way wondered when Kel would announce that the second Lady Knight was pregnant after six months of marriage.

Reaching one of the few doors that was shut, he softly knocked and pushed it open without waiting for an answer.

* * *

The noise from the hall dimmed to a dull hum as Dom shut the door behind him and smiled at the figure by the window. Lady Knight Keladry of Masbolle, the realm's second lady knight, sat in a high backed armchair by the window. The afternoon sunlight fell through the window and highlighted her dark brown hair that tumbled past her shoulders. It was pulled back from her face with jeweled barrettes made of sapphires that sparkled in the sun. Sapphires glinted on the bodice of her deep blue gown and the slippers on her feet, which were propped up on the window seat beside her chair. In her lap she held her four month old Godschild, Cairos of Queenscove.

Dom quietly made his way towards them, glancing around for Yuki. Kel looked up when she saw the shadows fall across her. She smiled when he ducked to place a kiss on her lips before crouching down beside the chair and looking at the child.

"Isn't he beautiful? Every time I see him my heart wants to melt." Kel gazed at the baby in her arms. He had his mother's silky black hair and creamy skin. His almond eyes showed his Yamani heritage, but their color was a brilliant green like Neal's.

"He is beautiful. I think the only babies that will rival him will be our own" Dom told her, taking the sleeping boy from her arms and cradling him within the circle of his big arms. Kel watched her husband rock his Godschild as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She glanced behind her at the sound of another door opening.

Yuki entered from the bed chamber, her apricot colored skirts rustling. She smiled at the scene before her. Reaching Dom, she took her son from him.

"I suppose my husband sent you to speed us along" she said to Dom. The captain shook his head.

"I came to find my wife, knowing she never spends that much time getting ready." He helped Kel from the chair.

"I was ready so I offered to feed Cai. He eats more than any man I know. I told Yuki to enjoy the time to herself since she doesn't get it very often." Kel smoothed her skirts and accepted the arm Dom offered her.

"We should be going if we are to not keep the priestess waiting. Kel, what are you wearing?" Yuki reached out and fingered the fine gold chain on Kel's neck.

"It's my pregnancy charm, you know that" Kel said, unsure of why Yuki seemed surprised.

"I know what it is. I meant why are you wearing it? You know it's an insult to the Goddess to defy her gifts while asking her blessing on a child" Yuki shifted the babe in her arms.

"Yuki, that's in the isles. We're not there. In Tortall, the Great Mother Goddess offers protection to willing and unwilling women alike. I am not defying her gifts, I am stalling their consequences." Kel removed her hand from Dom's. "However, if you wish me to take it off, I will do so for the ceremony."

"Thank you. It may be different here, but I will still offer my prayers and I do not wish to slight any god." She gave Kel a smile as the other woman removed the chain and charm from her neck and tucked it into the pocket of Dom's jacket.

"No problem. Now let us find Neal." Smiling Kel opened the door to the hall and ushered Yuki and her child into the hallway and the celebrations.

* * *

Kel moved silently around the room, extinguishing the flickering candles. Dom watched her from the bed, his head propped on his hand and the blankets barely covering his hips.

In the dim light, he followed her graceful movements. Her dark hair hung down her back and the nightshirt she wore showed the hint of her curves beneath it.

"You're quiet, tonight" he said softly to her. She didn't turn around but he saw her shoulders stiffen. "What are you thinking about?"

"Do you want children?" she asked him without meeting his eyes. He sighed and got out of bed, going to stand behind her. She leaned into him but continued to watch the dancing flame of the last candle.

"Is that what's bothering you? I thought we had already had this conversation." Dom placed a kiss on her hair.

"It's just that I watched Yuki and Neal today, and Roald and Shinko were chasing baby Alan around and I wanted that. Then I felt guilty because I don't want it now." Kel sighed, feeling his arms come around her waist. He was quiet for a moment before answering her.

"I do want children. Someday. It doesn't have to be now, it can be when we're ready. Don't let others make you feel guilty for our decision, and it is _ours_ Kel. We both want to serve our country and be good parents, and I know we both agree that the two don't necessarily go hand in hand, especially when we've only been at peace for a year. When the time is right, we will know and the Mother Goddess will bless us with a beautiful baby to torture Cai. Until then, let's enjoy each other." Dom gripped her waist and forced her to turn to face him. She gave him a small smile.

"Thank you" she told him.

"For what?"

"Being who you are. Letting me be who I am. For being a wonderful kisser." She reached up and wrapped her hands around his neck, offering him a deep kiss.

"Anytime, Love. Anytime" he said to her lips. Leaning over while still holding onto her, he blew out the remaining candle and led her towards the bed.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer:**__ I surrender everything and anything to Tamora Pierce. Even the original ideas are hers since, since it was her work that sparked our imagination._

CHAPTER 2

Neal found his wife in the practice courts just after dawn. Holding his small son in his arms, he took a seat beside his cousin to watch as Kel took a 'guard' position against Yuki. Men and women of the Riders, the Own and knights who had been practicing were leaning against the fence and watching the pair with rapt attention.

"Yuki has been complaining all week that she's out of shape. She told me the next pregnancy will have a shorter recovery period, even if it means ignoring my opinion" Neal mentioned to Dom who was leaning forward and following the downward sweep of Kel's glaive.

"I was watching yesterday when she yelled at Shinko for holding back. I wasn't sure what she had said until Kel translated for the Queen" Dom told him with a small smile.

"Well, she seems to be holding her own against Kel" Neal observed as Yuki blocked Kel's offensive and brought her blade up to cross with Kel's. Kel broke away and came back behind her with a backhanded swing, a second too slow to disarm her opponent.

"Yeah, well, Kel's had a rough week so I wouldn't be judging her physical abilities at the moment" said Dom as he tweaked Cai's cheek to earn him a smile. Neal gave him a worried look.

"She's been ill?" Neal asked, paying closer attention to his friend's movements as she sidestepped his wife's sweeping blade that barely missed Kel's arm.

"Not particularly. She's been tired since we returned from Masbolle the day before yesterday and this morning she couldn't stomach breakfast. She even threw up the tea" Dom told him.

"Could be food poisoning" Neal offered. "How was Masbolle? You left the day after Cai's Blessing and I hadn't heard from you until you returned a couple of days ago."

"She loves it there as much as you or I ever did. She missed Cai, but the break was nice. Four weeks wasn't enough. She said as much when Raoul sent us our orders." Dom winced as he watched Yuki's glaive connect with Kel's ankle, throwing her off guard. Just as fast, Yuki brought the blunt ended blade up to meet Kel's throat. The knight submitted to defeat as whistles and shouts were called from the spectators.

"You are right though, she does seem a bit off her game. Maybe it is just the trip." Neal let the subject go as his wife came towards him, taking her son from his arms and swinging him high as Cai giggled.

Dom took Kel's weapon from her as she drank from a water flask on the bench. He watched her, concerned. She was sweating profusely and her breathing seemed quicker than usual. Her cheeks were flushed and when she looked at him, he could see her eyes were fever bright.

"Sweet, do you feel alright?" he asked quietly. She looked at him sharply.

"It's just a headache. I am going to head for a bath though. Will I meet you in the barracks?" she asked in a quiet voice. The truth was that her headache was pounding behind her eyes and the harsh sunlight was making it worse.

"Of course. Try eating something though, will you?" Dom received a smile instead of an answer, but he hadn't really expected anything else.

* * *

Dom glanced up from his desk in the King's Own compound when he heard the herald call the hour past noon. Hesitating, he ran his hands through his hair and decided to find Kel who should have shown up by now. Setting aside the lists of supplies his men would need for an upcoming mission to the coast, he stood and stretched out cramps from sitting.

Leaving his office he paused for a moment to watch his men drill, making a note for every man to visit the armory before leaving. Making his way through the barrack buildings and the practice courts, he took the ground level entrance to the Western wing of the palace and climbed the stairs to the corridor on the third floor. Stopping at the door placed two doors down from the Queenscove suite, Dom unlocked his door and stepped into the dark apartment he shared with Kel.

The receiving room was lit with sunlight he noted as he softly chose the door to his immediate left and entered. The bedchamber was dark with the curtains drawn and Dom shivered with the unexpected chilliness of the room. On the table beside the bed were the remnants of a tea setting. Lifting the cup he sniffed the edge and smelled willowbark, something normally taken for pain.

He glanced to the sleeping form on the bed. Kel lay across the width of the bed, as if she had simply flopped down and dozed off. She was wrapped in a thick cotton towel and her hair spilled in damp tendrils across her arms which served as a pillow. She hadn't even bothered to get dressed after cleaning up. Dom perched on the edge of the bed and brushed a lock of hair out of her face, causing her to stir.

"Kel, wake up" he called as she opened her eyes and focused.

"Mithros, what hour is it?" she asked, sitting up on the bed and shivering slightly.

"Past noon. When you didn't show up, I came looking to see what kept you. You made willowbark tea" he said in hushed tones.

"I thought it would cure my headache. Which it did, but then I was so tired I thought if I took a quick nap I would feel better. I didn't mean to sleep that long." She swung her legs to the side of the bed and stood, making her way to the chair in the corner that held her clothes.

"Maybe you should see Neal, if you still feel off" Dom suggested. Kel just shook her head as she pulled on breeches, a shirt and boots. Fastening her sword belt, she picked up a brush off her dressing table and quickly worked her hair into a braid.

"I feel much better, really. And I'm starving" she told him, turning when she was done. The look on his face said he didn't believe her but he knew he had no choice. He simply nodded and followed her out of their rooms towards the Own's mess hall.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer:**__ I surrender everything and anything to Tamora Pierce. Even the original ideas are hers since, since it was her work that sparked our imagination._

CHAPTER 3

"That is a beautiful necklace, Keladry" Queen Thayet told Kel a few nights later.

Kel and Dom and a handful of other knights who were being sent to the Southern Coast were at a quiet, private dinner hosted by the King as a way to socialize and discuss the aims of the mission. Three companies of King's Own and a number of knights were to be lodged within Pirate's Swoop as the Crown's attempt to lend aid to the Baron and Baroness of the castle who were experiencing a great deal more coastal raids than usual. The mission was expected to last the summer.

"Thank you, your Majesty. It was a gift from Sir Nealan and Lady Yuki of Queenscove when they asked me to be Godsmother to their child" Kel told her politely, fingering the linked silver chains that centered on an emerald shaped into a heart.

"It is quite lovely. It is also nice to see you wearing jewelry and not always giving in to practicality" the Queen replied.

"You are correct, I usually wear only my charm on a gold chain and call it enough glitter" Kel said good naturedly. The Queen smiled warmly at her.

"Well, I'm glad you took it off so all the focus is on that unique piece. I must talk to Buri though before she leaves to check on supplies for tomorrow. Enjoy the evening." With that, Thayet glided across the room, leaving Kel standing in the middle of the room.

Kel was trying to control her emotions on the outside while on the inside she was panicking. Feeling the necklace again and around her neck, she felt her stomach tighten when she realized the charm she had spoken of was not on her neck.

_Think, Kel, think. Where could it be?_ Thinking back, she realized with horrifying clarity that the last time she remembered taking it off was Cairos' Blessing. _More than a month_, she thought. S_urely, I'm not pregnant though. I would have known._ Yuki had been violently ill for months when she found out she was with child and Shinko had known almost immediately.

Kel forced herself to relax when she felt Dom come up behind her. Fixing a smile on her face, she turned to look up at him.

"I'm going to head back to our rooms and double check everything is packed before taking them to your office" she told her husband who nodded.

"I won't be late. I just want to corner Raoul before I leave. I'll see you back in our rooms." He kissed her cheek modestly before taking her empty goblet and watching her leave the room. He was glad she had been feeling better the last few days, but she still looked tired and pale.

* * *

Back in their rooms, Kel tore apart Dom's wardrobe. Searching through his clothes until she found the dress uniform he had worn last month to Cai's celebrations, she thrust her hand into every pocket. Her heart sped up when her fingers found what she was looking for. Bringing it out and laying it flat in her palm, Kel stared at the anti-pregnancy charm she held. She was still staring at it, thinking things over, when she heard the doorknob turn in the entrance way. Quickly putting the chain in one of the pockets of the gown she was wearing, she began folding the jacket she held as Dom walked in.

"You forgot your dress tunic and jacket in case of anything formal" Kel explained. Dom laughed.

"Something tells me the rulers of the Swoop are not ones to fall on pomp and formality. We are discussing the Lioness' home" Dom laughed.

"Perhaps, but she is also unpredictable." Kel cocked an eyebrow at him. He laughed in agreement and helped her finish putting her own things into saddle bags before they carried them to his office for the next day's departure.

In all the preparation, Kel managed to force her anxious thoughts to the back of her mind and forget about it.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer:**__ I surrender everything and anything to Tamora Pierce. Even the original ideas are hers since, since it was her work that sparked our imagination._

CHAPTER 4

Dom was in the courtyard the next morning overseeing a weapons check when Kel exited the stables and came to stand beside him. He handed her an apple which she grudgingly took a small bite out of.

"You were gone when I woke up" she said to him as he dismissed his men to find their horses.

"I needed to make sure everything was ready and I thought you deserved a bit more rest." She simply nodded at him, taking another bite of the apple. Secretly she was glad he had not been there to see her throw up the remnants of the previous night's dinner. Thankfully the apple seemed to agree with her stomach for the moment, but she wasn't in the mood to deal with Dom's concern. _What he doesn't know won't hurt him_, she thought.

The couple was interrupted by the arrival of a very cranky Neal who looked extremely displeased with the idea of leaving his wife and child for a mission to the coast. Grumbling about Lionesses and their tempers, he led his horse to stand beside Kel and Dom. He barely acknowledged Kel's greeting before swinging himself into the saddle and crossing his arms.

"I see this will be a cheerful ride" Dom observed as he held Hoshi for his wife to mount. Mounting his own horse, Dom gave the signal for the men to assemble. Positioning himself in the front of the column, with Kel to his left and Neal behind him, Dom led his men out of Corus and onto the road towards the coast.

* * *

Kel waited until the sun marked the tenth morning hour before attempting to talk to Neal. Falling behind Dom, she positioned herself between Neal and Merric who was also riding with them.

"Can you at least pretend you like us as much as your wife?" she asked with a smile. Neal offered her a small smile in return.

"I know it will only be a couple of weeks and then Yuki and Cai will join us at the Swoop with Roald and Shinko, but I feel like every time I'm away I miss something important. Last time I went to Port Cayn for three weeks, and when I came home he could sit up by himself. I hate it." Neal sighed with frustration and longing.

"I know. I'm lucky the crown allows me to patrol and ride with the Own, even if it's not Dom's squad, I feel closer. But they are coming to visit" she acknowledged. "Speaking of which, Merric what brings you from the North to the coast?" she asked. Merric had only been in Corus for a few weeks since being released from border patrol in the North.

"Well I've missed the Own, to be truthful. And when Raoul mentioned the Swoop needing reinforcements, I volunteered for the change. I didn't know I would have to deal with a homesick Meathead though." Merric grinned recklessly at Neal who glared back.

"I didn't get to volunteer. I got ordered. You would think the Crown could find another healer to baby-sit you lot, but no. Healer Nealan is told he is the only one who manages to patch you all up and stay sane" Neal hissed sarcastically.

"I think they should rethink their idea of 'sane' if they lump you in that category" Kel shot back before dodging Neal's arm that swung at her. Those around them laughed as Neal feinted a hurt look.

"Under appreciated as always" Neal remarked to himself as they continued towards the ocean.

* * *

They made camp just as the skies began to darken, shooting pink and gold streams of light into the indigo sky. The skies were clear and the air warm, proof that summer had recently arrived.

Gathered around the central campfire, listening to the knights and the soldiers' conversation, Kel smiled as she carefully sipped the cider from her camp mug. Steam rose and she inhaled the scent of cinnamon. Dom squeezed her close with the arm he had wrapped around her waist.

"You didn't eat much at supper" he told her in hushed tones.

"I wasn't hungry" she told him quietly. It was the truth although she neglected to add that the smell of sausage coming from his plate had twisted her stomach into knots and ruined her appetite for the evening.

"Maybe you should go to bed early. It's been a long day and you look exhausted" Dom suggested softly. "I'll join you in a moment."

She nodded and stood, bidding Neal and some of the men good night as she picked her way through groups of men seated outside their tents and preparing for sentry duty.

Finding her and Dom's tent, she slipped inside and undressed. Throwing on an oversized shirt and setting her sword within reach of her pillow, she climbed into her bedroll and promptly fell asleep. Dom chuckled to himself when he entered their tent only minutes later. Sliding in beside her, he tucked the blankets around them to keep out the chill and fell asleep with his wife's face buried in his neck.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer:**__ I surrender everything and anything to Tamora Pierce. Even the original ideas are hers since, since it was her work that sparked our imagination._

CHAPTER 5

Neal was awakened the next morning at what he declared an ungodly hour, by Dom. Cracking an eye he could make out his cousin's outline on the outside of the tent. Sighing, he propped himself up on an elbow and called out to him.

"What do you want, Captain? The sun has barely risen" Neal growled.

"I know. I need you to check on Kel. She's been throwing up for the last half hour and she finally gave in and asked me to find you. I told you something was wrong." Dom shifted from foot to foot outside the tent, keeping an eye out for anyone listening.

Inside Neal sighed and climbed out of bed, quickly dressing in the damp chill of the morning. Washing his face and running his hands through his hair, he pulled on his boots and pulled back the door flap of his tent. His cousin looked relieved.

"You totally owe me for this" Neal told him, striding towards the back of the camp where the larger tent that housed the Captain and his wife was pitched. About to enter the tent, Dom tapped him on the shoulder and shook his head. Pointing to the woods behind the tent, he indicated she was in the brush. Neal raised an eyebrow.

"I told you she can't stop. She's behind that tree" Dom said, leading the way. When he reached the tiny trail that led to the stream, he pushed back the brush and called to Kel. "Sweet? I brought Neal" he said, crouching beside Kel who was seated on a fallen log. She looked up when Neal entered the clearing.

"You look like the Chamber just spit you out" her friend told her, kneeling in front of her but careful to avoid the puddle of vomit that was evidence she was ill. He took in her appearance with experienced eyes.

She was pale and her skin was clammy. Her hair had been hastily braided and hung down her back with stray pieces escaping and curling around her temples. She was wearing only a nightshirt and a blanket. Neal guessed Dom had grabbed it when he followed her out of their tent. She was also wearing her boots. As he watched, her skin paled and she leaned forward to puke between his feet.

"How long has this been going on?" he asked, raising a green-lighted hand to her forehead, using his magic to ease her nausea. She took a ragged breath.

"Just this morning" she told him. She heard his breath catch and looked at him. Something was different in the way he was looking at her.

"Are you sure?" he asked, voice tight. She gave him a quizzical look. Dom noticed Neal's voice too but didn't say anything. Neal sighed. "We're going to take you back to the tent and get you cleaned up and I will do a proper exam. It could be just the flu or it could be something you ate last night." Neal stood and let Dom scoop Kel into his arms, blanket and all.

Making their way back to the tent, Neal held open the canvas flap and let Dom set Kel on their bedroll. Neal entered after them. "Dom, can you find a teapot and bring me willowbark and jasmine from my kit in the tent? And you may want to let the men know we won't be leaving on time. I'll take care of her" Neal said as he shooed his cousin out of the tent.

Returning to Kel, he removed her boots and settled a warmer blanket around her shoulders. She looked at him and sighed.

"You don't think it's the flu, do you?" she said quietly. He looked at her hard.

"Neither do you. Kel, where's the charm?" he asked gently. She looked at the floor and fought tears.

"It's in my saddle bags. I found it in Dom's uniform jacket when I was packing. Neal, I took it off at Cai's Blessing because Yuki was afraid I would offend the Yamani goddess of children by wearing it in her priestess' presence. It's different in the isles. Anyway she asked, and I gave it to Dom to hold onto and I forgot about it. We both forgot about it. And then I found it and all the sleeping and headaches and nausea made sense." Kel's cheeks were wet with tears. Neal offered her a sympathetic smile.

"How about we make sure first?" he suggested, helping her lie back onto her pillow. She gave him a small nod. Pulling her blankets down to her waist, Neal pulled the nightshirt up to her ribs, exposing her belly. Holding her hand in one of his, he placed his other hand on her stomach and concentrated. When he looked up a moment later, she knew. "Congratulations, you're pregnant, Lady Knight" he told her softly and let her sit up again.

"What are we going to do? We're not ready. Dom is Captain and second in command. I've been ordered to the Swoop until the fall harvest begins. Neal, what do we do?" Kel asked in a high voice. Neal wrapped her in a hug.

"First, you tell Dom. Then we will come up with a plan for the immediate problem which is this mission. I promise this is not the end of the world. I'm happy for you." He broke away from her when Dom's footsteps sounded close.

Kel sat up when Dom entered their tent and offered him a small smile. He gave her a worried look.

"Are you ok? Is it the flu? Because if it's the flu and the whole camp gets it that would be bad." Dom's voice trailed off when he saw Neal and Kel's smiles. "What?"

"Darling it's not the flu. And it's definitely not contagious, although I did get it from you." Kel couldn't help but laugh at the confused look on her husband's face.

"I don't understand. How could you have gotten it from me? I haven't been…" Dom was interrupted by Neal's unsubtle coughing.

"Dom, I'm pregnant" Kel said gently. Dom sat down hard.

"But we said we would…you said you didn't….what about…" He stopped himself from babbling and looked at her. "A baby?" was all he could manage. Kel looked worried.

"Are you upset?" she asked quietly, the tears threatening again. Dom looked shocked at her words.

"No! Never! Kel, this is one of the happiest moments of our lives. I'm just confused to the how and when. You wear your charm all the time except last month and even then you were reluctant." He sat beside her and drew her close. She pulled away to look at him.

"And who did I give it to when I took it off?" she asked cheekily.

"Oh Mother Goddess" Dom said as he remembered, rubbing his eyes with his hands. "I forgot about it."

"We both did. I found it the other night in your jacket and I was a little suspicious but I told myself it couldn't have happened. I guess I was wrong." She looked into his blue eyes and brushed his hair with her fingers. "What are we going to do, Dom?" she asked, the tears falling.

"Are you happy?" he asked, cupping her chin in his large hand. "Do you want this child?"

"Yes. With all my heart. I'm just scared" she whispered.

"Then it will work out. Everything will work out. I promise" he told her.

"That's what I told her" Neal said from the corner of the tent where he had remained quiet. "As to your earlier question of the when, I would guess sometime at Masbolle. She's about three and half weeks along, which means a Midwinter baby."

"What do we do about the mission?" Kel asked Neal as she leaned against Dom.

"We don't say anything until we reach the Swoop. Once we're there we tell the Lioness and write Raoul and the King. Officially they will most likely send a replacement, but unofficially you will most likely be free to do what you like under the Lioness' and my care" Neal offered diplomatically. Dom agreed.

"I don't want everyone to know" Kel whispered. "I will tell those in command but as for the men and everyone else, I want to be free of the hovering until the last possible moment."

"People will speculate" Neal pointed out.

"Let them. At the Swoop, I'm out of the public eye. I will be careful, but I don't need the attention." She looked at Dom, who nodded.

"I can brew you some tea for the morning sickness and the headaches, although if you're like Yuki it may not work" Neal offered. Kel nodded, grateful.

"Neal, can you give us a moment? Let the men know we will be leaving in an hour." Dom thanked his cousin as he left the tent and then turned to his wife.

"You're going to be a father" she told him softly.

"And it's going to be amazing" Dom said to her as he kissed her gently on the lips. Rubbing one hand over her belly, he smiled.

* * *

A/N:

Normally I wait until the end to write an author's note, but I wanted to make sure not all of you are groaning over yet another KelDom pregnancy fic. I promised to keep the fluff to a minimum and I will. I also promise that it is going to share the spotlight with action and life at the Swoop.

Keep up the reviews!

-Jez


	6. Chapter 6

_**Disclaimer:**__ I surrender everything and anything to Tamora Pierce. Even the original ideas are hers since, since it was her work that sparked our imagination._

CHAPTER 6

Neal blamed it on her Yamani upbringing. Whatever it was, he had been right when he told her the tea may not help the morning sickness. That first morning after Kel told Dom, the nausea passed with a little help from Neal before they broke camp and continued towards Pirate's Swoop. With small, discreet doses of magic, Neal kept her stomach from rebelling until it settled just before noon. No one said anything, although the rumor flying around was that Didion and Jacobs' cooking the night before had been off. Kel didn't enlighten them.

* * *

The tea didn't help her the next morning either, and the result was that the new rumors circling the camp were closer to the truth than Dom's men realized. Dom heard the first one from Wolset who saluted him with a sly grin when Dom returned from Neal's tent.

Bent over the boiling teapot by the fire, Wolset called to his captain. "Didion is demanding I renounce my accusations against his cooking since it seems mine did not fare any better for her. I'm starting to wonder if there are other reasons the Meathead is accompanying us on this trip" the Corporal said with a gleam in his eye. Dom's answer was quick and rehearsed.

"Neal is headed to the Swoop because I decided he has spent too much time away from his true keeper. The Lioness has a way with my cousin that I wish dearly I could mimic" Dom said with a grin.

"Is that the way you treat the healer who is keeping your wife's breakfast down where it belongs?" Neal asked from behind Dom. Dom turned around and dragged Neal back towards the healer's tent where Dom had deposited Kel a few minutes earlier.

"What are you doing? You're supposed to be helping her" Dom hissed, ignoring the comments that his men shouted at him as he marched by. Neal wrestled himself from Dom's grip as they reached his tent. Pulling open the flap of the entrance, he gestured for Dom to go inside.

"I did help her, in the only way I can" he said, seating himself on the ground beside Kel's sleeping form.

She lay fully clothed and dressed for riding, her hair braided and pinned on top of her head and her sword fastened to her side.

"I can't do what I did yesterday for the rest of the trip, I will drain myself and it's exhausting for her. This is easier. If she sleeps most of the way, then when we arrive at the Swoop tomorrow afternoon I can make something stronger to help" Neal explained as he began packing up his things and moving around the tent. Dom sat beside Kel and drew a finger along her cheek.

"Couldn't you just give her something stronger in her tea? I know Yuki didn't spend the first months of her pregnancy sleeping" Dom inquired.

"No she didn't, and if we were home or anywhere with a fully stocked infirmary, Kel wouldn't be either. But the fact is that I packed for a trip to the coast. I expected raiding attacks, bandits, immortals; not my best friend to spend the trip puking her guts up from morning sickness. What would be the odds that the one woman among fifty men would be pregnant?" Neal raised an eyebrow at his cousin who dropped his head in defeat.

"You're right. I'm sorry. She can ride with me. Does she know what you did?" Neal looked at Dom, incredulous that he would ask.

"Of course not"

"Fantastic. Maybe I should make her ride with you" Dom sighed, looking piteously at Neal who looked horrified at the idea. "I'll make sure everyone's ready to leave before I come back for her." Neal nodded as Dom left the tent, only to hear him bark orders.

"If you have all become maids who listen at their master's doors, than perhaps I will send you back to Corus!" Dom roared at the handful of men, including Merric, who he found standing outside the tent. "Now break camp!"

* * *

The walls of Pirates Swoop appeared on the horizon just before sunset the next day. Kel, who had awoken a few hours earlier, sat up straighter in the saddle.

She had been upset the day before when she woke up to realize what Neal had done. After a swift tongue lashing which he shrugged off, she had relented and thanked him. She also agreed to let him do it again the next day.

"How do you feel?" Dom asked quietly from beside her. She had ridden in her own saddle from the moment she awoke that afternoon, in an effort to maintain a measure of dignity.

"Tired" was her soft reply.

"We can wait and tell the Lioness in the morning, if you wish" he offered. Kel shook her head.

"The last few days have set a pattern and she will figure it out. I'd rather it come from us than the chamber maid who empties the basin." She offered Dom a watery smile which he returned.

"Fair enough" he said, shrugging. He glanced up as the gates loomed ahead of them and called orders to his men. "You will accept the Swoop's hospitality with thanks and graciousness. You will be prepared for all possibilities. And, under no circumstances, are you to spread city gossip!"

Kel gave him a sharp look and grimaced when Dom winked at her. "I bet all I have that Wolset has already begun a betting pool on whether or not I'm pregnant" Kel hissed to Neal who had come up beside her. Neal grinned.

"I won't go against you on that one because you're right. I, however, have my own pool going on how long it will take for Dom to let it spill." Neal dodged Kel's dirty look.

"Queenscove!" Kel jerked her head up towards the owner of the voice and smiled when Neal shivered.

A short, stocky figure with fiery red hair and a sword in one hand was marching across the courtyard followed closely by a tall, slim man with dark hair and laughing hazel eyes. Baron George Cooper clapped Neal on the shoulder as he slid from the saddle to bow to his old knight master, Alanna of Pirates Swoop and Olau, known as the Lioness. Humor glinted in the look she gave her former squire and her gaze softened as she looked up at the only other Lady Knight in the realm who was still in the saddle.

"Keladry, I welcome you to Pirates Swoop" Alanna told her.

"Thank you, my Lady. I am grateful to your hospitality" Kel said when she had climbed out of the saddle.

"You are here on orders of the King, my hospitality has also been ordered although I welcome you and your husband. Maybe even Neal if he remembers to think before he speaks." Kel laughed out loud at the look that passed between Squire and Knight.

"Perhaps we could discuss the extent of your willing hospitality?" Kel watched the Lioness' face change as she tried to read past Kel's cryptic message. She was silent for a moment before replying, looking first at Neal.

"Dinner and a bath first, then find me in the study. I would welcome news of the city. Bring Neal and your husband with you, if you wish" Alanna suggested. "I will see the men are housed and fed. Let the hostlers take your horses, you all look tired" she pointed out, looking from Kel to Neal to Dom, who had come to greet the Baron and Baroness of the castle.

"Thank you, my lady" Kel said softly as her husband wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Of course. And remember Kel, my study when you're ready." With that Alanna went to issue orders to her staff.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Disclaimer:**__ I surrender everything and anything to Tamora Pierce. Even the original ideas are hers since, since it was her work that sparked our imagination._

CHAPTER 7

Kel smoothed her hands over her black tunic nervously. She had taken careful consideration of her appearance, wearing her long hair down and applying just a touch of kohl to her eye lids. She wanted the Lioness to see her as capable both as a warrior and a wife. And a mother. _Goddess, that will take some getting used to,_ she thought.

Hearing footsteps behind her, she saw Dom and Neal approach the doorway where she was standing. Running his hands through his hair, Dom raised a fist to the oak door in front of them and waited for Kel.

"Ready?" he asked and knocked three times on the door when she nodded.

A deep voice bade them to enter. Dom eased open the door, allowing Neal to go first and then following Kel inside the small study room. It was paneled in dark mahogany wood with matching floor to ceiling bookcases and a desk in the far corner had been cleared of loose paper. A handful of armchairs were scattered in front of the fireplace which threw enough heat to ward of the chill of coastal winds. The room's two occupants were standing in front of the mantel piece.

The new arrivals bowed and Kel felt a slight blush on her cheeks as she made eye contact with the Lioness. _She's done this. She's been in this position. Breathe_, Kel told herself as she took the chair that Baron George Cooper offered. A moment of silence settled on the room.

"I am sorry you missed Cai's Blessing, My Lady" Neal began before Alanna cut him off.

"We regretted our inability to leave the coast, Neal. However, I believe the three of you have come to discuss a different matter" Alanna interrupted. Her steely purple gaze settled on Kel who was busy twisting the silver wedding band on her finger. She looked up at the Lioness' words.

"My Lady, I…" Kel's words stuck in her throat as she struggled to find the right words.

"Keladry" Alanna said, slightly harsher than she intended, "you were sent to command against pirates and raiders. I suggest you get over this sudden bout of shyness that is very uncharacteristic of you."

Kel stiffened and let out a slow breath. Looking across to where her longtime hero lounged against her husband's chair, Kel steadied herself.

"My Lady, I am unsuitable to command. I am carrying a child" Kel said softly. She respected the fact that the Lioness only slightly flinched.

"Why, in Mithros' name, would Raoul and Wyldon send you into the field in that condition? They should know better, especially Raoul" Alanna said, setting her wine goblet down and crossing her arms.

"They do not know, My Lady. I wasn't aware of it until a few days ago, on the road. Neal figured it out" Kel replied, letting her eyes flick for a moment towards Neal who was standing with his back to them while he scanned the bookshelves.

"She's almost four weeks along. She didn't know until the nausea hit" Neal supplied, not turning around.

"It wasn't exactly planned" Kel whispered. Alanna gave her a smirk.

"I assumed that, considering this cozy little meeting and the fact that you seem somewhat reluctant with the information. I think congratulations are still in order, however. What do you plan to do?" Alanna's voice softened as she remembered her fear of giving up her shield and hard work for motherhood.

Dom spoke up. Leaning against Kel's chair, he had remained silent thus far.

"She wants to stay, My Lady. We were hoping you would be willing."

Alanna appeared to be thinking as she paced between her husband's chair and the desk. Finally, after a few silent minutes, she spoke.

"You are welcome to stay and I would never turn away a capable sword hand. From my own experience, I can assure you that the practice courts and drill will cause no harm as long as you don't exert yourself. As for your particular assignment here, Jonathon and Raoul need to know. They will decide what to do." Alanna offered Kel a small smile. She returned it.

"Thank you, My Lady. The letters are prepared and ready to go with the outgoing rider tomorrow morning" Kel told her. She and Dom had taken painstaking care over the wording of the letters to be sent to King Jonathon and Lord Raoul. Hopefully their answers would be brought to the Swoop within the next couple of weeks.

"Then all you can do is wait for their answers. Until then, I and Neal will not hold you back" Alanna offered, smiling slightly at the sound that escaped Neal. "He tends to be slightly over precautious."

"That he does" Kel agreed, sharing a smile with the Lioness.

As the conversation turned towards the summer's most recent raiding attacks, Kel relaxed. _Of all places to be, the Swoop is probably the most interesting_, she thought.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Disclaimer:**__ I surrender everything and anything to Tamora Pierce. Even the original ideas are hers since, since it was her work that sparked our imagination._

CHAPTER 8

Kel wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand and focused on Merric's blade. Waiting for an opening, she twisted and brought the tip of her sword to rest under his chin. He grinned and relented.

"If the rumors are true, they would be hard to prove after a show like that" he told her. She laughed and winked. Neal had found a tea that counteracted the effects of her morning sickness.

A clatter of hooves on the cobblestones caused her attention to turn to the gates of the fortress. Raising a hand to shield her eyes from the bright sunlight, Kel recognized the crest of the Palace Courier on the rider's cloak. Saluting Merric, she strode towards the horse and its rider, hoping that answers had arrived.

* * *

Kel splashed water over her face and reached for a towel before seating herself on the edge of the bed with a stack of correspondence from Corus. Sunlight leaked through the window that offered a view of the waves battering the rocks of the Swoop.

Alanna had given Kel and Dom a suite of rooms on the second floor, insisting that there was no need for the nobility to sleep in the barracks. Neal was housed further down the hall, as well as Merric.

Kel returned her eyes to the papers in her lap which she had sorted into two piles. Personal letters were set aside while those with official seals of office remained close. She paused slightly before cracking the blue wax seal of Goldenlake and Malories Peak.

Raoul's familiar scrawl brought a smile to her lips as she read the letter that had been penned a week before:

_ Lady Keladry,_

_ It is with a mix of surprise and happiness that I read your letter. It was certainly not the news I had been expecting. Please pass my congratulations on to your husband and tell him that he has no idea what he has gotten himself into…._

Kel grinned as she imagined Raoul's thoughts of Dom being a father. She skimmed through the parts relating to Buri's reaction and Raoul's warnings about Alanna. Her eyes settled on the part she was looking for:

_ …The matter has been discussed with King Jonathon and Wyldon of Cavall and we all agree that as long as you stay out of harm's way, there is no reason to recall you home. If you wish to travel to Mindelan or Masbolle, consider it granted. Although I regret to remind you that Dom is still under command and he is required at the Swoop for the time being. If you wish to remain under Alanna's hospitality than do so at your own risk….._

Kel finished the letter and tossed it to the side, picking up two that bore the seals of Cavall and the imperial Crown. Skimming the one from the King, she found it to include the same congratulations as Raoul's and the same message that gave her leave to be free of command until she felt fit for active duty. A smaller note was attached to Jonathon's letter, signed by Thayet, and read:

_ …Keladry, I cannot express my happiness at how your news affected Shinko and your mother. They are thrilled, although like most they were quite surprised. The Queen's Riders will be arriving at the Swoop within a week of you receiving this letter and while I regret not being able to participate this year, Shinko and Roald will be accompanying Buri and Raoul……_

Kel set the letter aside, still smiling. Skimming through the letter from Shinko, Kel found the princess confirming her expected arrival. Yuki and Cai would be coming as well and Yuki's letter made her laugh out loud:

_ ….Do not allow Neal to dictate your practice schedule. He does not understand how it feels to carry a growing watermelon around for nine months. That applies to Dom as well, although I believe he may be slightly less mad in comparison to Neal and therefore may agree with your desire to continue training. On a separate note regarding sanity and madness, I expect to hear every detail on how you managed to find yourself pregnant in the first place. Neal seems to be blaming me, but I do not understand how…._

Kel pursed her lips together and considered how best to control the urge she had to strangle her friend. The same friend who had caused this recent string of events. Kel's expression deepened into a scowl as she read her mother's letter demanding a visit to Mindelan in the near future. _Just what I need_, Kel thought.

She was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of the door being closed. Dom raised an eyebrow when he saw the look on her face. Noting the pile of letters on the bed beside her, he took a seat on the bed and reached towards those that were yet to be opened.

"The one on the top is from your mother" Kel informed him sarcastically. She continued to read her mother's news of the fief and how her sister had just given birth to daughter number four.

"I will open Mother's if you tell me how mad Cavall is" Dom suggested. He waved the letter she had placed in her lap in front of her eyes. She wrinkled her nose at the thought.

"I haven't opened it yet, for obvious reasons. I think if one more person offers us congratulations I am going to vomit and it will not be from morning sickness. Mother wants us to visit." Kel finished her mother's letter and tossed it aside. She watched Dom skim his own letter. He also held an envelope sealed with the green Queenscove crest.

"So does my mother. Is there not a way to get them in one place? Or avoid it all together?" Dom added the note from Masbolle to Kel's pile. Flipping the letter from Queenscove around so he could crack the seal, he withdrew the parchment that included the Duke's recognizable script.

_ ….You should know better than to expect Neal to keep a secret. Most of the palace knows the two of you are expecting. I suspect your mother has bombarded you with requests to visit. I am sad to say I am writing on behalf of your aunt, who also requests that I tell you to visit once you return to Corus. I am sending some supplies with Yuki that I hope you find useful…._

Dom rolled his eyes and looked at Kel who had finally cracked the Cavall seal and was reading her official Commander's words. Her face was creased into a look of amusement. Leaning over, he read over her shoulder.

_ …I send you to the Swoop to keep an eye on Queenscove and what do you do? Require his help. I hope you realize how hard it will be to deflate his ego and control the leash he requires now that he feels important….._

Dom laughed as he read further:

_ …Please don't be a hero. And please don't roll your eyes and wonder how I have the nerve. Raoul will have my head if you so much as get a splinter before we arrive. Yes Mindelan, I am coming with the Riders. So just do us all a favor and stay alive until Goldenlake and I arrive or I will appoint Queenscove or Jesslaw your official babysitters….._

Kel smirked as she tossed the letters onto her desk. Turning to face her husband, she leaned against the oak desk behind her. He was watching her with a look of amusement on his face, waiting for what he knew would follow in a moment.

She didn't disappoint.

"Babysitter! What does he think I am going to do? Enlist in the joust next month and tilt against my Lord?" She began pacing.

"Kel, he does have a point. He knows you won't sit around if we are attacked again. The only reason you weren't involved three days ago is because you were on a tour of the lands with the Baron. You're lucky the Stump and Raoul didn't order you back to Corus" Dom pointed out. She simply glared at him.

"But to threaten me with Owen and…and…..Neal!" she spat out. "That's just…."

She didn't have the chance to finish. The sound of the call to arms horn reverberated through the room and the entire castle. Dom jumped off the bed and raced to the window.

"Pirates in the cove" he called to her and went for the armor that was in the adjoining room.

Shrugging into chain mail and his tunic, he grabbed his helmet and his sword. He opened his mouth to speak and shut it again. He watched her dress in her own mail and strap wrist guards on.

"Promise me you will stay on the wall" Dom said quietly as he handed her a sword. She looked up into his blue eyes.

"Promise me you won't get yourself killed" she shot back. He grinned at her and leaned in for a hard kiss.

"The wall Kel. Or I will assign you a babysitter myself" Dom told her.

She simply winked at him and ran towards the stairs that led to the outer wall of the fortress. Dom, still shaking his head at her, hurried towards the courtyard to assemble troops.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Disclaimer:**__ I surrender everything and anything to Tamora Pierce. Even the original ideas are hers, since it was her work that sparked our imagination._

CHAPTER 9

The pirates' small raiding boats had hit the shore by the time Dom's company of King's Own reached the rocks at the cove. Spread out in a loose line on the beach, Dom's men engaged the pirates that had abandoned their boats on the shore and were attempting to break past the Swoop's line of defense.

This was only the second attack since Dom and his men had arrived from Corus with the knights. However this one fit the pattern that had been emerging since spring raiding season began. The pirates would blockade the cove entrance and send men ashore, usually into villages that dotted the coast around Pirate's Swoop, and seize anything they could carry off. This was the second time they had attempted to raid the village directly outside the fortress' walls.

Dom's men had discarded the idea of using mounts, realizing that they posed a danger to the soldiers and knights if they fell or became unbalanced in the wet sticky sand and booming surf. On foot, bearing swords and spears, Dom's men were on equal footing with the raiders.

"If they flee to their boats, let them go!" Dom called as he hauled his sword out of the throat of his opponent and turned to face another one. "The archers on the wall will take care of anyone on the water!"

"At least we know one of them has decent aim!" Wolset called from ten feet away where he had just relieved a pirate of his sword and hand.

Dom laughed and knocked his raider over the head with the hilt of his sword, sparing a desperate moment to glance towards the walls behind them.

* * *

Kel had positioned herself on the South West wall that overlooked the beach and the cove. Standing amidst the archers, she notched a griffin fletched arrow and took aim at the small boats attempting to land on the shore below.

"Aim for those on water where there is less risk of hitting our own" she called down the line. From the North West wall she could hear Neal giving similar instructions. "Fire at will!" she called and the _twang_ of bow strings followed.

Kel watched as the boats on the water slowed or overturned as their occupants died or fell overboard. Sliding her vision beyond the smaller vessels to the main ships, she noted that a pirate galley had left the cove entrance and was now anchored as close as possible without running aground.

"We need cannon fire!" the Lioness called from the observation tower that separated the north and south portions of the Western wall.

Kel notched a flaming arrow to her bow and let it fly, watching it take out another boat with grim satisfaction. Flicking her gaze towards the men on the beach, she focused on the blue and silver helmet of her husband. Assuring herself he was well, she turned her attention back to the pirate galley that was now rolling out its long guns.

* * *

On the North West wall, Neal ensured his arrow hit its target before notching another one. Pausing briefly, he stepped out of the line and gazed past the archers. Soldiers were positioning canons along the wall and loading them with gunpowder. Having had the Lioness as his knight master during his squire years, Neal was familiar with pirates and coastal raiders and the Swoop's defenses.

Neal turned back to the water and started aiming for the mage that appeared to be attempting to land on the beach. Neal watched him topple overboard. Raising his spyglass to his eye, he picked out two more mages aboard the galley that had entered the cove. Choosing a stormwing fletched arrow from the pile at his feet, Neal aimed for the ship.

A thunderous _boom_ made the fortress wall vibrate and quiver under his feet. It threw off his aim. Cursing he notched another one and waited until the Swoop soldiers returned the cannon fire with their own. Neal waited for the haze of smoke to clear before seeking out the mage again.

This time he made his target. Smiling to himself, despite the situation, he reached for another arrow.

He was still crouched down when the whistling sound registered somewhere in the back of his mind. But it was only for a second and then the world around him exploded in debris.

* * *

Kel could smell gunpowder in the air. Choking on the ash and dust she wiped a grimy sleeve across her face and streaming eyes. Squinting through the haze that had enveloped the wall, she tried to determine the damage.

Another _boom_ resonated through the air and Kel could make out the flame engulfed pirate ship in the cove. The Baron had cracked open the cases of Blazebalm.

"Keladry!" Alanna called from someplace Kel could not see. "Do you have injuries in your command?"

"No My Lady!" Kel called back after doing a quick head count and assessment.

"Then I require their help cleaning up this mess!"

It was then, seeing the air cleared, that Kel finally had a view of the Northern section of the West wall. The canon fire had blown a hole through the top portion of the wall.

_Oh Neal_, she thought as she fought to stay calm. Abandoning her bow, she scrambled over the chunks of stone that had been thrown from the blast and ran towards the damage.

* * *

When rocks, stone, wood and mortar began raining down upon the soldiers on the beach, Dom hit the sand, wincing as something hit his arm. Everyone else on the beach followed.

"What in the name of Mithros was that!" yelled Corporal Alysworth when it stopped.

Dom was wondering the same thing. One glance behind him gave him his answer. The North West wall was missing a good forty by twenty foot section off the top. Stone continued to tumble from the area as the grayish black haze dissipated.

Another resounding _crack_ had Dom turning his attention to the water where he watched the pirate galley explode in flames. Dom winced. The Baron of Pirates Swoop was angry if he had dipped into their stores of Blazebalm. He had mentioned when they first arrived that he hated using it unless necessary.

It was the signal the raiders on the beach needed. They fled to their boats. The Own let them go. Instead they scrambled to help their own injured.

"Captain, you're bleeding" someone pointed out to Dom, who was leaning over the body of one of his newest recruits. He had taken a dagger to the throat.

"Probably from debris" Dom said, shrugging the man off. Rolling up his sleeve, he examined the gash on his upper arm. It bled sluggishly, but wasn't overly painful. He quickly bandaged it and went back to triaging the wounded men under his command.

Footsteps behind him caused him to turn.

"I brought women to help with the wounded and the dead. We need you on the wall" Merric told Dom, slightly out of breath. He gestured to the village women who had immediately gone to tend the wounded.

"What if they try another attack?" Dom asked wearily.

"I doubt they will try. Backup arrived." Merric pointed to the cove. Following the direction of his finger, Dom could make out the shape of two large ships that had blockaded the cove behind the pirate vessels.

They flew the flag of the Tortallan Navy.

"It's about time. You said they need help on the wall?" Dom sheathed his sword.

"They're digging out survivors" Merric told him. Dom caught something in his expression.

"Where's Kel?" Dom asked. Merric hesitated. "Hollyrose, I asked where my wife is."

"She's looking for Neal" Merric told him softly.

Dom swore under his breath and ran towards the fortress, his men following behind him.

* * *

Kel had stopped to help four other people before she found Neal's helmet. A gift from Yuki the previous Midwinter, it had the crest of Queenscove painted on the front.

"Neal!" she called, not expecting an answer. She didn't get one. Cursing pirates and raiders and gunpowder, she began to move chunks of debris out of her way.

She didn't have to dig for long before she realized that she had found him. Moving more of the stones and wood out of her way she uncovered his face and upper chest. Reaching out a hand to cup his jaw, she rubbed a thumb along his cheek.

"Come on Neal. Wake up for me. Don't do this to us" Kel called, as she took in his ashen face. A shallow cut ran from his forehead to his temple.

She moved the chunk of rock that had hidden his lower torso and left arm. Pain flickered across Neal's face as she did it. When she reached the wooden beam that was the last thing keeping him trapped, strong arms reached from behind her to help.

She looked up into sapphire blue eyes that were set in a soot stained face. They didn't speak to each other as they moved it together, leaving Neal completely exposed.

"I need a stretcher and the Lady Alanna!" Dom called to a soldier behind him. The man nodded and ran off.

"Come on Neal. I need you to tell me what's wrong" Kel said to her unconscious friend.

Other than the cut on his head, the only other blood Kel could see was a gash on his upper thigh. Raising his shirt to expose his chest, Dom quietly pointed out the bruising along his ribcage. He had definitely broken at least one.

"Kel?" Neal's voice was cracked and only a whisper. Kel jerked her gaze from his chest to face.

"I'm right here. So is Dom. I need you tell me where it hurts" Kel told him as the soldier from earlier returned with a stretcher and Wolset.

"The Lioness is in the infirmary. The Baron says to take him there" Wolset relayed.

"Alright. Neal, we're going to move you." Dom told his cousin softly, as he watched Neal's face pale and flinch at the pain.

"Yeah, I figured. I plan to go unconscious in a moment, but could you ask the Lioness not to kill me?" Neal's voice faded in and out as he fought to stay awake.

"Sure, Meathead. I can't make any promises, though" Dom replied.

Neal didn't argue about the use of the nickname. He had succumbed to the blackness again.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Disclaimer:**__ I surrender everything and anything to Tamora Pierce. Even the original ideas are hers, since it was her work that sparked our imagination._

CHAPTER 10

Dom found her in the infirmary.

Night had fallen and all the survivors had been pulled off the beach front or out of the fortress rubble. Most lay on their cots in the infirmary, while others had been sent back to their rooms. The Tortallan navy ships had blockaded the harbor and would sound any alarm if another attack came. Odds were against that happening.

Weaving his way through the cots and the injured, Dom made his way to the back of the infirmary where Neal slept. Pausing for a moment, he offered the figure on the bed a grim smile before gently shaking Kel's shoulder.

She sat in a chair, her head propped up on the hand that rested on the bed and her other hand holding Neal's. She blinked rapidly when Dom woke her up. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she glanced at Neal's pale face.

"You should be in bed" Dom told her quietly as he slipped a blanket around her shoulders.

"He woke up a little while ago" Kel said softly, purposely ignoring Dom's previous comment. "This feels so unknown. It's never him in this position. You and I are here more than we would like to admit but Neal's always the safe one."

"The Lioness said he would be fine. He'll be awake tomorrow, complaining and annoying the truly sick people in here, and the Lioness will make you deal with him. Which is why you need to go to bed" Dom repeated.

"I told him I would stay. I never wake up alone. It's the first time I truly appreciate how lucky I am when I travel with you. Neal shouldn't have to do this alone just because Yuki and Cai are not here" Kel said, rubbing her hand over Neal's.

In the background she heard someone call the tenth hour of the night watch.

"I will stay" Dom told her, helping her to her feet after spending hours in the same position. "I want you to eat and sleep and come back tomorrow. I will stay."

"Are you sure? You've been on the wall all evening. You need sleep too." Kel handed him the blanket she had about her shoulders.

"I am sure. I can sleep in here. I wouldn't sleep anyway knowing you were here. You should go before the cooks in the kitchen put out the ovens for the night. I was already there. I will see you in the morning." Dom gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before seating himself in her vacated chair.

Kel hesitated a moment before leaving the ward and walking across the courtyard towards the kitchens. Torchlight flickered everywhere and voices could be heard on the walls as men hauled rubble out of the way and others patrolled the walls and beachfront.

Thanking the cooks for the small basket of bread, cheese and cold chicken, she made her way through the silent halls of the castle. Pulling her aching muscles up the stairs to her suite of rooms, Kel placed the basket on a table before stripping off her grimy, gun powder covered clothes and sinking into the cold but clean bath someone had left in her privy.

When she finished, she threw a clean night shirt over he head and quickly braided her hair into a long plait that kept it free of tangles. By the time she had climbed into bed and drawn the covers over her, the night watch had called the next hour.

Sounds and colors whirled through her mind, convincing her that she would never sleep. Tossing and turning, she finally drifted off to sleep before midnight was called from the wall.

* * *

"George, something is going on. They have strategy and they attack in patterns. Regular pirates take easy pickings. They attack the same village twice if it means they won't get caught. Which is why pirates who attack the castle of the King's Champion and one of his advisors are extremely unnerving" Alanna commented as she paced her husband's office.

She had come from the infirmary to make sure he had everything under control and to relieve some of her tension. She stopped pacing and watched him trace his finger along a map and tap a pencil against the desk.

"George! Did you hear me? I am unnerved!" Alanna snapped as she ran a hand through her short red hair. Her husband eyed her.

"I heard you. I agree. Which is why I am trying to see if there's a pattern to the raids themselves" George told her evenly. He could tell she was drained and was willing to forgive her slightly more heated temper for the moment.

"And?" Alanna asked as she looked over his shoulder.

"I have nothing. There's a pattern or reasoning of some sort but I need more information. Hopefully Raoul will bring it when he comes this week. I wish I knew what was happening in the Isles. Everything I have gotten contradicts the information before it" George said as he laid the pencil down and leaned back in his chair.

"I thought you had established new agents there last fall, it is the only place we never get decent information from" Alanna said with a small smile. Her husband growled under his breath.

"Aly sent them back. All of them but one. That's what makes this frustrating. Pirates can fly whatever flag they want, who really knows which country they hail from? If they are from the Isles, than I would expect some sort of answer from our daughter. Instead I get a letter that says she has taken a fancy to mangoes and she's pregnant again. I can't tell if she's hiding something or if she thinks I am playing games" George sighed.

"All we can do is wait. Raoul and Buri will most likely arrive before another attack. Hopefully they bring information" Alanna said before she left the room to return to the infirmary.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Disclaimer:** I surrender everything and anything to Tamora Pierce._

CHAPTER 11

Information arrived four days later, carried by Raoul and those in his company. They threw the Swoop into chaos as hostlers and servants raced to sort through the nobles and twenty odd new recruits for the Queen's Riders.

Standing amidst the horses and people, coated in a layer of dust from the road and holding Cai on her hip, Yuki searched the crowd for her husband. When her eyes found him leaning against Dom, she frowned.

"You appear as though you should be in a bed" Yuki admonished, taking in her husband's pale face and the slight wince he made as he took Cai from her.

"I probably should be, but I am hoping in all this confusion the Lioness will forget where I should or should not be" Neal responded as he ruffled his son's dark hair. The broken ribs had been healed, along with the internal bruising, and only sharp movements or prolonged bouts without sleep had him in any discomfort.

"How did you manage to wear yourself out this time?" she asked as she took the baby back and allowed Dom to help Neal move out of the busy courtyard.

"I got buried by a wall" Neal said quietly, meeting her dark brown eyes. "The pirates aimed for the archers."

Yuki opened her mouth to respond but closed it again when she heard someone call her name. She smiled as Kel whisked her son from her arms and spun him around just to hear him giggle.

"He's gotten so big" she exclaimed, glaring briefly at Neal. She had voiced her opinion of him being up earlier that morning.

"Do not think to distract me from my husband's condition or your condition by using my son" Yuki told her.

"I have no intentions of distracting you from Neal. I have already debated with him enough for the day. My own circumstances will remain unspoken until we are out of range of certain people" Kel retorted, indicating the numerous youths who were taking orders from Buri.

"Good Luck with that. Even with the heads up I am going to give you, don't think it will be so easy to avoid the issue" Yuki said as she nudged her husband down onto a bench that was out of the way.

"Heads up?" Kel inquired, searching out familiar faces in the crowd.

"Yes. Their Highnesses and My Lords have expressed in numerous ways their opinions on you current situation. I think you are mad for remaining under the eye of Neal, but perhaps he has restrained himself for fear of your sword." Yuki gave her husband a withering look.

"I have restrained myself because I have been unconscious" Neal shot back.

"That's right Meathead. Force her to focus on _that._ Smart move." Dom interjected sarcastically.

Rising from the bench, Dom beckoned Kel to follow him back into the fray of the courtyard and leave Yuki and Neal to the debate of Neal's capacity to remain out of trouble.

* * *

It was late before everyone focused on the problem at hand. 

Standing around a large table in the Baron's study, the knights and commanders were reviewing the large map that George had been using to mark the raids and attacks.

"These mark the other fiefs and villages hit by pirate activity since spring" Raoul told the group, marking each spot with a blue painted pin. Attacks on land controlled by the Baron of Pirates Swoop were already marked by red pins.

"Every fief on the coast has experienced heightened activity. It is why all the knights and help available are being assigned from inland areas. Everyone on the coast requires all able soldiers and seamen to deal with their own attacks" Wyldon explained as he traced his finger along the Tortallan coast.

"So is there a bigger picture or is this just a bad year for piracy?" Alanna asked quietly, as if thinking it through out loud.

"We think it's bigger. George has been logging the numbers of men and ships that have been involved. If they are accurate, which I would bet my life on, then more than twice the amount of force has occurred against the Swoop. Everyone else is occupied, but only in an annoying and irritating way. There's always just enough of a threat to keep soldiers busy or wary, but nothing so daring as what they are doing here" Raoul told Alanna. "We also have a number of naval ships missing."

"What I want to know is why? I have information from the Yamanis, Carthak and Tyra. Even Scanra and Galla. Each ship flies a different flag so we don't have anything that points to one specific country. The only one missing is the Copper Isles and the lack of information coming from there is more of a personal challenge than a legitimate threat. I want to know why the Swoop?" George said, frustration evident in his voice.

"Myles has a theory" Prince Roald said, speaking up for the first time.

Moving closer to the table and the map, he picked up the navigation device used to calculate distances and areas. Thinking for a moment, he drew a circle that included the Swoop, its harbor and the outlying waters.

"The last time the Swoop was a target, it was because Ozorne and Scanra had wanted Mother, Kally and I. The hired pirates distracted the Lioness and any other source of protection away from the Swoop and then used as much force as possible to cripple the Swoop's defenses" the Prince recalled.

"But they must know that it wouldn't work this time either. It would explain why they are harrying anyone within distance of helping, but we still have doubled the amount of men" Alanna pointed out. "Plus the number of mages involved has been limited."

"Actually the only participation of mages at all has occurred here at the Swoop" Raoul added.

"So what does the Swoop have this time?" Kel asked.

"Myles thinks it is more a matter of what they _think_ the Swoop has. The mages suggest that they expect a resistance here that is not anywhere else. Last time Master Salmalin was the only magical opposition to their efforts" Roald suggested.

"Yes but the only person truly able to function was Daine. Despite their efforts she was able to call the Kraken" George said slowly, piecing together the puzzle.

"Mithros and Goddess above!" Alanna said, "They want the Kraken!"

"But why?" asked Buri, voicing the most obvious question. "How can they possibly hope to control it?"

"There is a legend" Neal said from the chair behind the group. He was still tired but had been cleared by Alanna to participate in the meeting. Everyone turned to look at him. "It's in one of the histories at the Royal Library. But the basis of it is that the Kraken represents power on the seas. It was forgotten when the mages closed the barriers between the Realms of the Gods and this plane, and remained in our world. It rises when it wishes and devours the ships without allegiance."

"But Daine controlled it. She steered it towards the ships back then and it obeyed" Buri pointed out.

"That's my point. The myths all say that there is a way to bind the Kraken to a particular ship or captain, although there is never any mention of a specific method of doing so. But what if that's what they have found? What if they have found a way to bind the beast to a Captain's command but need someone to find it? They cut off the Swoop's access to any help but a Wildmage who can fly in, they bombard our walls and harbor until Daine sees no other way than to call on the beast again, and then when she does they bind the creature and use it to control the entire Emerald Ocean" Neal explained.

"We've been looking at this from the wrong way" Kel pointed out, recalling the lessons from her page years when Lord Wyldon and Lord Raoul would reconstruct past battles for the pages and squires to dissect.

"How do you mean?" Shinko asked, frowning.

"We have been focusing on flags and information gathered by spies whose job it is to follow the happenings at foreign courts because last time they turned out to be mercenaries. What if this time they are just pirates? Strategic and organized pirates, but pirates none the less?" Kel looked up from the map as her thought sunk in.

"It means we have a serious problem" George acknowledged. "If there is someone powerful enough to bind the Kraken, than the possibility is strong that he has also used magic to bind any captain he could get his hands, pirate or not. Given the chance, he could point every ship on the sea at the Swoop."

_Wave-Walker save us_, Kel thought.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Disclaimer:** I reliquish all to Tamora Pierce._

**CHAPTER 12**

Numair Salmalin, Black robe mage and hero of the realm of Tortall prided himself on two things, one being the fact that he could remain sane while in the prolonged presence of his children and another on the fact that his private library rivaled that of the Royal University.

Yet as he perched precariously on the top rung of his ladder, he was unsure if his collection would actually contain the information he sought. Running his hands over the dusty volumes, he used his mind to recall the information within each tome.

_King Jasson III… The Great Southern Desert… The Anatomy of Magical Properties… The Luarin Invasion of the Copper Isles….Where is it? _he thought to himself.

"I told you the last time, if you would allow someone to organize this mess with some sort of plan than perhaps you would not have to search every single book" came a voice from below.

Startled, Numair looked down and into soft grey eyes. A hint of a smile tugged at his wife's lips as he sighed in resignation.

"I have also said, Magelet, that I do not wish amateurs to catalogue these" Numair retorted.

"You have said that, yet here we are trying to sort through a forest of dead trees in search of one specific book which you cannot recall the title of but you insist holds the answer to the Kraken. Really Numair, Alanna will not be impressed that her castle was destroyed because you cannot organize" Daine pointed out.

"I do not see how the solution to the Swoop's problem is not obvious. You stay here no matter what and the pirates do not find the Kraken and therefore they cannot rule the seas. Problem solved" the Black mage argued.

"You just do not want me to go" Daine surmised as she began searching through a pile of books set atop Numair's desk.

"No. I do not. The children are at the palace with Alan for the summer and we finally have some peace. I want to lock ourselves in this manor and relish in the fact that no one is chasing squirrels that are actually our children, no one is ordering us into the field and no one is threatening imminent war" Numair said as he began to descend the ladder.

"Actually there are orders for us to head to the Swoop and there is a threat" Daine said.

"Minor details" Numair said with a wave of his hand.

"Darling, George is looking for information on the Kraken. Something more substantial than my hazy recollection of a creature hidden on the ocean floor somewhere past the Yamani Isles. And you told him that you have it somewhere. We need to find it" Daine said in an attempt to resume the quest for the unnamed book.

"Yes. I suppose that would be important. I know I have seen it recently. It mentions the Dominion Jewel and Syra the Gypsy. The Kraken is mentioned briefly but it has some connection to the pirate ship Black Gate. I remember because it says that the Kraken was spotted off the coast of Carthak and I meant to ask you about its location" Numair muttered audibly as he began to pour over another shelf of books.

He didn't notice that Daine had left the room and returned after a few minutes, carrying a red leather bound book which she threw at the back of her husband's head.

"Is that it?" she asked, exasperated. Numair glared at her as he picked it up but a smile lit his features a moment later when flipped through the colorfully painted pages.

"Yes! Magelet you are full of surprises. Where did you find it?"

"On the table beside Rikash's bed. You brought it from Port Caynn last month. Numair it's full of children's tales!" Daine cried.

"I am sure Alanna would enjoy lecturing you on how one finds the truth in fairy tales" Numair said quietly as he skimmed the book to find what he wanted.

"What does it say?" Daine asked, blushing as she recalled how only nights before she had lectured Saralynn about dismissing children's stories. She had commented to Numair that someone needed to rewrite the story of the Dominion Jewel.

"It says we need to pack for the Swoop" Numair said, brushing past her to order the servants to pack and ready their horses.

"Numair? A moment ago you were arguing that this wasn't a threat and that we should ignore the summons. What does the book say?" Daine asked as she hurried to keep up with her husband's long strides.

He handed her the book silently and while she read he found the messenger sent from Pirate's Swoop. Daine looked at the page he had kept open. Skimming through the narrative of the tale, her eyes sought the information that had disturbed her husband so.

'_The Kraken has only been bound to a ship once in the history of the mortal realms. Captained by Hector Dehara, a mage from Carthak, the pirate ship Black Gate was able to call on the Kraken in times of threat from other pirates or Crown Navies seeking retribution. The Kraken was responsible for the deaths of many for more than seventy five years before the gates between the mortal and divine realms were closed, sealing all immortals but the Kraken in the Realms of the Gods. Dehara ordered the Kraken into the depths of the sea and there it stayed for centuries, rising only when its desire outweighed the threat.'_

Daine frowned. They had finally found proof that the task could be done, but what had put Numair on edge? She read further.

'_The magical hold on the Kraken ceased with the sinking of the Black Gate during a horrific storm off the coast of Tortall soon after the immortals were sealed in their proper realm. For years pirates hired mages in desperate attempts to retrieve the dead ship from the depths of the seas, but one after the other they failed. Experienced scholars argued that only the descendents of Dehara could raise the ship. Pirates argued that it was not the ship itself, but Dehara's sword and blood that bound the beast to the Captain's will. If the pirates' word holds true than there is no fear for the Kraken. Dehara went down with his ship, leaving no children to call on their father's pet.'_

Daine closed the book with a snap. So the Kraken could be bound by blood and sword. The pirates didn't need a spell, they just needed a mage who was a descendent of Hector Dehara and strong enough to bind himself to an immortal. He could call of the already established bond. But it was still speculation.

_Something about it bothered Numair though_, she thought as she approached her husband who was scribbling out a letter to the king. He looked up when she handed him back the book.

"The story leaves much out, but it caused me to remember similar stories I have heard in Carthak. One story is more specific than 'the coast of Tortall', they call it 'Pirate's Refuge' or 'Cove of Dishonesty'. We call it Pirate's Swoop. The wreck lies just outside the Swoop's harbor." Numair told her without looking up.

"They need you" Daine said.

"Yes. Binding an immortal creature to the blood of a mortal requires strength and power. I do not know what they plan to do with the Swoop, but I plan to give them as much opposition as possible." Numair sealed the letter and stood, dark robes billowing. Looking at Daine, he noticed the odd look on her face. "What are you thinking, Sweet?"

"That someone needs to rewrite the fairy tales" Daine told him as they headed to the courtyard and their horses.

* * *

Kel watched the harbor from the Swoop's highest watch tower. Orange and red rays of light lit up the darkening indigo skies above the calm waters as the sun sunk below the horizon. The gentle wind ruffled through her hair, teasing strands out of the tight braid that wound around her head like a coronet.

Low sounds of commotion traveled up from the distant courtyard. The horn blast to open the gates had faded minutes ago and Kel made no move to see who it was. The watch called back and forth from the walls around the fortress and torches were being lit by one of the soldiers.

A shadow brushed across her, moving silently. Arms came about her waist and she smelled the scent of cinnamon mixed with sea salt on the air.

"Neal said I would find you up here" Dom said quietly, following her gaze to the harbor mouth where ships had been gathering for the last three days.

"I heard someone at the gate" Kel said in response. Leaning against him, she smiled as she felt his hands slide up to rest on either side of her belly.

"Master Numair and the Wildmage have arrived with more information on how the pirates are going to attempt disaster" Dom joked.

"Somehow when I envisioned this assignment I pictured something different than four months of fighting off magically obsessed pirates attempting to control a ship killer while pregnant" Kel told him softly as she placed her hands over his. It was still odd to her that a human being was growing where no one could see. _Well, they can't see at the moment,_ she thought, _but that will change_.

"Well it has only been three weeks" Dom replied softly, "perhaps things will look up now that we have an angry mage in our presence."

"Master Numair is angry?" Kel asked, confused.

"Yes. He literally tumbled off his horse while muttering something about squirrels being more enjoyable than over ambitions barnacle lovers" Dom answered.

"This place is starting to get a little too crowded for my liking" Kel responded, sighing.

"You could always take some of the men and go to Masbolle" Dom suggested.

Kel sighed with frustration and glared at him.

"Okay fine. I know we have had this conversation but you know I would feel better if you were not here" Dom insisted.

"Than I won't be _here_" Kel told him, twisting out of his hold. "When you are ready to relax and you remember that I do not need another person badgering me about looking after myself, you will find me in our rooms."

Sighing Dom watched her storm down the staircase that led to the top floors of the castle. Glancing to the left he saw Wolset offer him a lopsided grin as he made his round of the wall.

"Lover's quarrel, Captain? You seem awfully protective of our Lady Knight" Wolset hinted.

Dom glared at him and turned back to the black horizon without an answer.

* * *

_**AN:** Keep up the great reviews. Now that the explaining has been mostly done, things will move faster._


	13. Chapter 13

_**Disclaimer:** I reliquish everything to Tamora Pierce_.

**CHAPTER 13**

Midsummer arrived along with the heat of summer.

Kel welcomed the cool breezes that could be found at the heights of the castle during the day. Although her nature dictated routine and responsibility, the young knight found herself glad that drill and practice gave her an excuse to spend her afternoons on the walls of the fortress.

On the evening of the festival, three weeks after Numair had brought news that he had found the answer to the Kraken, Kel found herself walking alone along the paths leading from the Swoop to the beach.

Casting her gaze along the shores of the harbor, she smiled as she saw the orange glints of bonfires that dotted the shores of scattered homes and villages. Similar celebrations were taking place back at the castle, but she had begged exhaustion and sought solitude. Drawing her cloak tighter around her, Kel shivered when her gaze skimmed over the blackened opening of the harbor where she knew the pirate ships waited, but where she could not see.

Leaving the main path, she followed the less worn walkway to the water's edge. The tide was on its way out, leaving clumps of seaweed and broken shells behind. Shedding her boots and stockings, Kel let her feet sink into the sand as the waves washed around her ankles.

Bending down, she trailed her fingers through the water, letting the sand sift through her fingers. The night was deathly quiet, contrasting against the noise of her thoughts that tumbled through her head.

Sitting herself cross-legged on a flat rock that was higher than the water, she rested her hands on her knees and emptied her mind. It had been a long time since she had felt meditation necessary but in the last few weeks, she had joined Daine in the evenings. Now as she sat, she thought about the day that was finally coming to an end. Kel couldn't recall any other day where she had yearned for its end.

* * *

"_Alanna told us you have more information from Port Caynn" Raoul growled from the doorway to George's office. He was covered in dust, obviously coming from the practice courts. Dom, Kel, Roald and Neal stood behind him._

"_The Tortallan Navy has reported five more missing ships. They were supposed to dock at Caynn last week after delivering the ambassador to Carthak. Dockhands have also passed along rumors that the Tyran ambassador was expecting a galley of imports last month and has yet to hear from them" George told them as he added more pins to the cluster that surrounded the Swoop's harbor on the map. _

"_We can assume that the captain of the pirates has bound them to his quest then" Roald added. _

"_Yes, we can. We also have a name" George reported. _

_Kel's head snapped up from where she had momentarily rested it on Dom's shoulder. Neal smirked at her. _

"_So we can finally stop referring to him as 'Captain of Imminent Disaster'?" Neal asked. _

_Raoul suppressed a grimace as George cast an uncharacteristic glare in Neal's direction. _

"_Contacts in Port Caynn have come up with the name of a man who was in port more than four months ago. He was hiring men under the pretense of using their ships to haul illegal firewine from Tyra. The man was Carthaki and gave the name of Russav Havarahi. Numair says the family is known to be involved in the slave trade and illegal importing and exporting. My Carthaki contacts sent back word that the Royal University in Carthak has recently had a rash of dropouts, many of whom range from the Southern coast of the country. Havarahi was one of them" George spoke in a voice that rang with well controlled frustration. _

"_So we have a name. What now? Are we to think that he can bind the Kraken himself or has he recruited a more powerful mage? Is Havarahi the descendent or is he a middle man?" Dom asked as Neal scanned the position of the pins on the map. _

"_They've cut us off" Neal interrupted. _

"_What? How?" Roald had come up behind Neal and watched as Neal fingers pointed out the colored pins that marked known ship placements and recent inland raids. Daine had been able to obtain the information in the last weeks._

"_Here, here and here" Kel pointed out once she too saw the pattern. "Every cove or inlet or harbor has been blockaded by their ships or naval ships that have been magicked. Inland all the roads have reported road blocks or raids. They have everyone occupied while we sit here and wait. But what are they waiting for?"_

"_Beltane. It comes in three weeks and it is known as a time when the gates between the realms is weak. It is also when the Mother Goddess is at her strongest. He will be able to draw power that is not his own and Kyprioth will be distracted by his sister's power." The group turned at the sound of Numair's voice in the doorway. _

"_Wouldn't Kyprioth want disorder on the seas?" Roald asked, more aware than most of the god's high ambitions. _

"_Not this way. Kyprioth rules the seas as a true force of nature. The Kraken causing disorder on his own would delight him, but for a beast that fierce to be ruled in the name of greed and victory goes against Kyprioth's nature" George pointed out. _

"_So we have three weeks to prepare for a battle with men we do not know, so that they do not perform a spell we do not know, so that they don't tear us apart and summon a beast that would devour us himself if we were closer to the water" Kel summed up. _

"_I need more information that is easy for my contacts to get, but harder for them to get to me without calling attention. Raoul, can you send some of your men to Caynn? I need to know the number of foreign ships docked in their harbors and how many of them have recently been engaged with pirates. They are most likely going to have to fight through" George said, turning to the Commander of the Own. _

_Raoul nodded and spoke to Dom. _

"_Take who you want from Third or Fifth Company and ride to the Port. It's a day's ride there and another back. Use the Crown's coin. Beware of the roads" he ordered the Captain. _

_Dom nodded and left without a word. Kel watched him go before meeting her commander's eyes. _

"_You're staying here. When Wyldon returns with the Rider's this afternoon, he can find you something to do" Raoul told her. _

"_I am sure I can find something to occupy myself _without _help" she said without emotion. He flinched at the icy tone. _

"_Keladry, I…" Raoul was interrupted by Neal as she walked out._

"_Don't bother, Sir. Lord Wyldon turned her away from the Rider's scouting tactics this morning. The Lioness sent her from the infirmary when the herbs made her nauseous and Daine beat her at archery this morning. She is getting tired of being ordered away from anything other than her rooms, my Lord" Neal said softly. _

"_And I just sent her husband into known danger" Raoul sighed, seeing his folly in voicing orders he knew she didn't need to hear. She would have stayed without his direction. "I should go after her…"_

"_No my Lord, I will go" Neal interrupted. "She's not really mad at anyone, just herself for being in this particular position at this particular time. I will find her."_

_And he did. On the South East wall with her sword._

_She didn't even notice his presence until she turned at the sound of a sword clearing its sheath and her blade came up to meet his with a clash of sparks. _

"_I am not in the mood, Neal" Kel said evenly, bringing the blade in a half moon to guard at a lower position. _

"_I can see that" he replied sarcastically, swinging his blade to meet the downward chop that was meant to disarm him. _

"_Then why are you here?" she hissed as she twisted to keep her blade moving. He turned at the last minute and her sword bit into only air._

"_I am letting you vent your frustrations" Neal told her as he brought his sword up under her guard. She broke away, panting, at the last minute. _

"_I hate feeling this useless" she snapped, cursing herself for letting Neal inside her defense. That never happened until recently._

"_You seem to be quite capable at the moment" he commented, yelping when the hilt of her sword crushed his fingers. _

"_My Lords think differently" Kel said, bringing up her guard as Neal attacked in full fury. _

"_The Riders do sword drill every morning" Neal told her, "if you decide to be social instead of practicing on your own, who would blame you?" He laughed as her blade stopped very close to his neck. _

"_You won't say anything healer-like?" she asked, surprised but with hopefulness in her tones. _

"_Not unless it's necessary. And Kel? Don't make it necessary" Neal sheathed his blade and leaned over the wall's ledge. _

_Kel joined him and for a moment no one spoke._

"_It will get easier" he said softly. "You're less than three months along. You still have energy and mobility and so you feel like you are being caged. Give it a couple more months and you may not like the idea, but at least you won't be itching to be in the field." He rubbed a hand over her back as she stared into the water below them. _

"_I keep thinking about what would happen. I _want _to go to Masbolle. I want to walk under the apple trees and chase Dom's nieces. I want to hear how his parents are lighting incense in prayer so that we give them a boy. I don't want to feel that I am in the way. But I can't bring myself to leave him here. He is so happy and I will stay because no matter what he says, I know he wants to be there every step of the way. This is my way of giving him that. But I keep thinking about what could happen. I can't lose either of them." She continued to watch as the sun glinted and reflected into her eyes. _

"_Kel, my darling, that almost sounded motherly" Neal grinned as she swatted him. _

"_But now he's gone. And I realize that I don't _like _being left behind" She glared when Neal laughed. _

"_I hate to tell you, but all the times you leave us behind? We are not so ecstatic either" he told her. _

_For the second time that day, she stormed away. It was becoming a recurring occurrence. _

* * *

She sighed into the darkness of the night, feeling the emotions boiling just under the surface. Easing aching muscles out of the position she had been keeping, Kel glanced back towards the castle.

Picking up her boots, she made her way back to the castle where she snuck in through a servant entrance. Her footsteps were silent as she mounted the winding stairs that led to her rooms.

Candles had been lit and a maid had readied the bed. Kel noted how only one side had been turned down. _Nothing escapes them_, she thought.

Without undressing, she pulled the covers off the bed and settled into the chair in front of the fireplace. Resting her head against the back of the chair, she fell asleep.

* * *

_**AN: **I normally do not do this, but I felt it necessary to answer the one raging question. Yes, it sounds like Pirates of the Carribean. No, that was not my intention. I study Classics as part of my degree and part of the readings for last week included the Kraken, which is an old Norwegian myth. When I raked my brain for an idea, it was one of the first ones that came to mind that didn't involve Scanra or Carthak in the normal sense. I am glad you appreciated the original idea and I am glad you are all Johnny Depp fans, however don't expect Kel and Dom to play out one of the rescue scenes like Will and Elizabeth. Another question to answer is no, Numair has no intention of binding the Kraken. He wants to stop any effort to do so. Also, I promise the next few chapters will be void of Kel's hormones and the fluff. I just needed some filler to fill in the space that takes up roughly six weeks. _

_Continue the reviews!_

_Thanks, Jez._


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

"This is so unromantic" Daine sighed as she strung another bow.

She and Kel were in the armories, sorting through equipment to haul to the fortress walls or to hand out to those going into the field. In the preceding days, pirates had landed on beaches further down the coast and had made their way to the walls of the Swoop. They intended to keep everyone bottled inside, with no place to turn except the Kraken.

"My Lord used to say that when court ladies told him his job was glorious, he would laugh until they whispered about his sanity" Kel told her with a grin as she tested the edge of a sword blade with a strand of hair.

"Oh I know the job is far from glamorous, but the Beltane festival is about passion and fertility and beauty. At the current moment, the passion seems to be lacking" Daine responded. "This castle is preparing for a battle tomorrow while the rest of the country is collecting wood from sacred groves."

"I don't know about you and Numair, but Dom and I have conquered the passion and fertility part without any help from bonfires" Kel quipped. Finished with the swords, she turned to the mountain of newly repaired spears.

"I have heard the rumors" Daine said quietly with a smile. "I assumed since no one has said anything, you wished to keep it quiet."

Kel paused for a moment, pretending to focus on the tipped end of a pole arm. She remained eternally grateful that her body had stayed relatively unchanged the last several weeks. Unless undressed, no one could yet see the evidence of her pregnancy. Looking across the room at the smaller woman whose curls were caught up in more than a thousand pins, Kel smiled back in return.

"They are true. At least the ones about Dom and I expecting a child are true. The one that says Lord Wyldon is the father is definitely not valid. I assumed you knew, since your husband has been present during certain unpleasant discussions" Kel told her with a grimace. The Wildmage laughed.

"You would be surprised how much Numair misses if he isn't looking. I commend you for remaining active with the Own" Daine told her as she began calculating and bundling arrows for the archers. As she worked, Rider Trainees entered with Buri and began hauling gunpowder kegs up to the castle towers.

"If I was anywhere else, I would drive myself crazy worrying about Dom. At least here I only worry for short periods of time" Kel said as she handed the spears to an Own soldier who had come to help.

"I repeat my earlier sentiment. This is so unromantic" Daine declared before leaving with an armful of bow strings.

* * *

Of course the enemy would wait for sunset. Kel knew that under her infuriation with the inconvenience, it was a brilliant tactic.

With the sun setting on the horizon, sending blinding rays of light that reflected off the water, the Swoop had no view of the harbor until the sun sunk low enough that the watch on the wall called the alarm.

They had entered the harbor and weighed anchor as close as they dared. The sound of the alarm from the wall was the signal the raiders outside the walls were waiting for. They began to lay siege to the castle gates.

Lord Wyldon had predicted they would attack early. Numair agreed with the probability. If Havarahi needed the Kraken called by the end of Beltane, he would have to force the Swoop's hand early. Their planning still left Kel with ice in her gut as she held the spyglass to her eye and counted the number of mages amongst the ground raiders and those in the ships.

"I can see seven mages at the gates and at least four per ship in the harbor. They may have more on board the ships at the mouth of the harbor, but I can't see them" Kel relayed to Dom who was silent beside her.

She watched his eyes as he thought. Her own mind was speeding faster than she could keep up. The siege at the gates was priority one.

"Who is at the gates?" she asked Dom, collapsing her spyglass as she turned back to the water.

"Raoul, Merric and three companies of the Own are preparing to go the moment they let up. Buri has two Rider groups ready to follow, along with the Swoop's men-at-arms. The trainees have been assigned to the Eastern wall with the Swoop's archers and Daine. Neal has been ordered to retain every drop of magic he possesses and to stay safe. He's with the Baron loading canons" Dom told her quietly, frustration in his voice.

His men had returned from Caynn a battered mess. Four men had lost their lives trying to fight their way off the docks where they discovered three ships loyal to Havarahi. More were injured on the way home as they encountered raiders. Dom had suffered nothing more than a shallow cut to the back of his leg, but Raoul had put him in charge of the archers on the Western wall. Kel had volunteered to go with him before anyone could object.

"This is madness" Kel said quietly.

"Consider it a different take on 'Beltane Fever'" Dom replied with a half hearted grin.

Kel rolled her eyes as she heard the grinding of chains which signaled the inner gates being opened.

"And it begins" she whispered.

* * *

It could sense captivity.

It had been centuries since the Kraken had felt the bonds of mortals. Oh yes, he remembered the girl-child whose blood ran with the magic of his kind but that was different. She had shuddered at the thought of cages. She feared iron bars and chains. She had feared _him_.

But the magic the Kraken sensed now was arrogant and agonizingly familiar. His master whom he had obeyed out of force and not will or desire. He would have swallowed his ships whole without mercy if he could. But even immortals can die. Can feel pain.

The girl-child had offered him mortal ships as repayment. She had summoned him from the depths out of desperation. This magic sought power and fortune, control of the uncontrollable.

He would pay for the past and the future. He would pay for manipulating a cage out of the seas. When the Kraken was through, the magic-wielder would wish he had had a cage to protect him from the horrors of the deep.

The Kraken could not sense fear, but he would. As the creature began its journey from the depths of the unexplored seas, he dreamt of how fear would taste.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Disclaimer:** I surrender everything to Tamora Pierce._

**CHAPTER 15**

Kel was exhausted. She was covered in dust and sea salt and blood. Her muscles ached relentlessly and the roaring of canon fire had created an echo in her head that refused to go away. And she was surrounded by the injured and the dying.

Rubbing a hand across her forehead to ease a headache that was beginning behind her eyes from lack of sleep, she left a smear of blood across one cheek. She resumed her task of cleaning wounds and administering water to the wounded.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she registered that the sun had risen. She didn't know when. It seemed as if she had been awake for days, although she knew it hadn't been that long. Yet. She flinched when she approached her next patient.

He was young, barely out of his adolescence. His sun bleached hair was damp with sweat and his blue eyes cloudy with pain. The pirate tattoo that marked him stood out against the back of his hand. He glared at her as she sat on the edge of the cot and offered him a mug of water. He gave her a questioning look as he took it in his hands.

"It's not poisoned" Kel told him sharply. He drank as she cleaned the sword wound that traveled the length of his lower leg. The blood was already drying.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, his voice slightly accented and hinting of the north.

"Would you rather it get infected and the healer's amputate it?" she asked him softly, working as patiently as possible. The truth was the Baron wanted information and had ordered that any enemy who could be saved should have a chance to be questioned.

"I'm going to the gallows as it is, why waste time" he pointed out cynically. She remained quiet. "Your hands are rough, yet you speak like a noble" he said curiously when the silence had stretched a few moments.

"I'm a knight, Master Pirate. Healing is a new found hobby I have temporarily taken up" she told him with a small smile.

"You're the Lady Knight. My mother used to tell my sisters stories about you. She said you were responsible for stopping the Gallan from raiding our villages for babes. You're supposed to be unstoppable. Why are you here?" his eyes had lit up for a moment before his reality crashed around him.

"Every knight is stoppable" she told him softly, getting up from her seat on the bed and moving to the next patient.

* * *

Neal watched Kel move from bed to bed with determination. He could see the weariness in her frame and her subdued expression as she treated the wounded. Dom had sent her from the wall when the pirate ships in the harbor began firing blazebalm from their long guns and catapults. Getting up from the chair where he had been resting for a brief moment, he made his way to where she was cleaning a shoulder wound on a Rider Trainee.

"There's a cot in my study. I want you to rest" he told her in hushed tones.

"I won't sleep. I need to stay busy" she whispered back as she continued to bandage the unconscious Rider.

She felt Neal shift and caught his hand before it landed on her belly. She looked into his green eyes that were seeking anything she was hiding.

"I'm fine. I'm not asking to return to the field. If anyone needs a rest it is you and Roald" she told him, looking for the prince who had been lending his Gift to the task of healing.

"I already sent him to his rooms. When he comes back, I will go. But you've been up since this time yesterday. You need to rest."

"I will rest when this is over" she said, brushing past him to the next person in the never ending line of injured.

* * *

On the wall, Dom shot arrow after arrow. Drawing another stormwing fletched arrow, he took aim for a red robed mage on board one of the ships. She fell just as the ship fired another round of blazebalm at the castle wall.

Dom didn't stop to register the shrieks of men dying on the beach and rocks below. He didn't stop when a canon ball made contact with one of the eastern watch towers. Drawing another arrow from the selection at his feet, he aimed for another mage.

* * *

Daine was organizing the Swoop's birds into patterns as if they were part of the regular army. The gulls and osprey and kingfishers and seahawks were harrying the pirates on board the ships.

She watched from their point of view as a hawk dove at a deck hand who stumbled, spilling his precious barrel of blazebalm. It exploded into flames that raced across the deck of the ship. She didn't waste time gloating.

She was about to call on the hawks to rip through the ropes that stabilized the masts of the ships when she felt a gold tinged spark on the outskirts of her magic. She focused for a moment, casting a net over the creature that had intruded on her senses.

She inhaled sharply. It was coming without being called. The Kraken felt dark and cold within her mind, its thoughts slow and methodical.

_They seek to control the uncontrollable, Little Fish. He fails to understand the nature of the seas. I intend to teach it to him_, the Kraken told Daine.

_They will bind you_, she cried. _They sought to force us to call on you again. We are fighting for your freedom._

_You did not call me, Little Fish. He did with his blood. It sang to me of greed and treasure. I too seek freedom. Freedom from a legacy he wishes to possess. _

She shut his cold voice from her head and scrambled from the rocks. Her muscles ached from being in the cold sea water and from the exhaustion that had sent her there. Climbing the cliff side to the Swoop, she raced to find Numair.

* * *

Dom had come to the conclusion that as long as he lived, the sound of dying men would echo in his head.

As he continued to fire arrow after arrow, men around him died screaming. On the ground, sixty feet below, soldiers and raiders bore the consequences of the blazebalm's destruction. It clung to everything. Dirt, plants, rocks and people- they all burned.

Up and down the wall, archers chose targets and let loose. Sometimes they made it into the hearts and throats of those aboard the ships and other times they silenced the screams of those below.

Dom focused on the mages. He recalled George's mention of the Royal University of Carthak's recently calculated drop out rate and wondered what Havarahi had promised his friends in return for their early deaths.

He was pulled from his trance by a strong arm. Notching another arrow as his commander spoke, Dom felt oddly detached from the moment.

"We need you in the field. We've lost Vandenhorn and Juniper Ridge; the companies need a commander. Wyldon is holding them off the beach about half a mile south of here and Merric and Buri are the only people between the gate and a massacre. Cut the number of archers in half and take them out the rear gate. Numair will cover you." Raoul's eyes were haunted and his mouth drawn. He had a bandage hastily tied around his upper left arm and a shallow graze ran from under his right eye to his temple.

"Where's Kel?" Dom asked as he flexed stiff fingers.

"Working in the infirmary with Neal and his Highness. Yuki, Shinko and the Baron are stripping information from any surviving pirate we bring them and Alanna is chopping through raiders as if they were made of nothing more than air" Raoul told him as Dom donned a helmet and sword.

"I saw the birds. Where is the Wildmage?" Dom began assembling his force in front of the rear gate.

"Arguing with the Kraken. Apparently he doesn't appreciate us helping without consulting. He's coming." Numair shook his head in exhaustion as he looked to Dom for the signal.

When it came, with a nod from the Captain's head, black-tinted Gift exploded from the mage with a deafening roar. The gates were opened and closed behind them before Dom even realized they had exited the fortress.

On the ground, the screams were louder.

* * *

George Cooper had a past. If the nobles who whispered about it had taken the effort and asked a commoner, they would have gotten a truthful answer. But nobles were unlikely to stoop to asking commoners where the Lioness' husband had come from.

The King would tell them the Baron was a loyal friend, close confident and at one point a rival for the Lioness' heart. Lord Raoul and Duke Gareth would say that he taught them the inner hierarchy of the lower city.

Very few knew he was the only King of Thieves in Tortallan history to abdicate his throne and keep his life. George Cooper was a noble by writ, commoner by blood and a Rogue at heart.

The face he showed the pirate raider seated in front of him was the Rogue. It was the face that caused enemies to fear him and friends to respect him. It was the face that few recalled with affection. The dark haired youth chained to the chair in his study was not feeling affection. His fear was overwhelming.

"I asked you a question, young man. I will take it freely or by force. But I will have the answer" the Baron growled, twirling a dagger on a fingertip before throwing it. It landed with precision between the boy's knees.

"The Black Pirate wants the seas." The voice was hoarse and trembling, from fear or exhaustion or both. George didn't care.

"We know what he wants. I want to know how he plans to get it." Another dagger landed just inside the boy's left arm. Steel kissed flesh without drawing blood.

"I don't know. My ship wasn't involved in the planning. We're from Galla. We were run aground off the coast of Carthak in the spring. The Black Pirate boarded us and offered clemency if we sailed under his command. We agreed and he used his magic to give us these." The boy twisted his left hand so that it was palm up. A stark black tattoo of a Kraken was visible on the palm. "We didn't know he wanted more."

"It's his mark?" George asked, turning to signal the Princess to fetch Numair.

"I don't know how it works. We would be at sea or port when we slept and would awake to be somewhere miles and miles off course. One captain and his crew tried to burn their ship one night while we were at anchor. We watched as the moment their feet hit the shore they burned up inside. No one escapes the Black Pirate." The boy's eyes were hooded with death and fear.

"It is a magical form of a blood oath" Numair said from the doorway where he had been listening. "Blood oaths require permission from the individual. Marking his men works like slave collars for Havarahi. They are tied to him. They are free to make decisions and tell us what we want, but if they seek to escape their master's will they will die."

"We still need more information about the spell. Find me someone who can answer them. If need be, tackle Alanna to keep her from frying anymore mages on that beach." George motioned to a guard to remove the boy to a cell.

"If there are any left alive" Numair muttered under his breath. "She is quite angry."

* * *

Merric of Hollyrose never considered himself a hero. Not because he was humble and modest, but because he did not consider himself to have done anything warranting the title. But that was before he put himself between a raging force of pirate raiders and the main gate to Pirates Swoop.

He had his back to the wooden and spelled gate. He faced the forty men in front of him and swung his sword. It bit into the side of the man closest to him and when the body dropped, the raiders realized they would have to fight their way past a red-headed knight who seemed determined to stand his ground.

They surged forward. Chaos enveloped him as his chopped and parried and defended his ground. He knew what was at stake. The gate was staying shut as long as he could swing a sword.

His sword slid into the stomach of a blond and filthy haired pirate. He focused on the raider to his left and missed the downward swing of another's ax. It bit into his shoulder. Cursing he turned to see the offender run through by Buri.

"We can't hold the gate much longer!" she yelled as she flung a dagger at one enemy and took down another with her sword. "Raoul is sending help!"

Merric could only nod and behead another raider.

* * *

Dom was trying to reach the gate. As he and his men cut and slashed their way towards the castle from the flanks, Dom could smell smoke.

Catching a break in the line, he urged his horse to the front and dismounted beside Merric.

"Raoul said you needed help!" he cried as he swung his blade into the thigh of a pirate.

"We need a miracle! Did you bring one?" Merric yelled back, grimacing as he felt steel cut into his forearm.

"Just us!" Dom called back. He withdrew his sword from a man's chest and thrust it into the gut of another.

"You'll have to do!"

* * *

All Kel could hear was the screams. What had started out as wounds and cuts had turned into blazebalm burns. Men lay writhing on the tables while Neal and Roald poured their Gifts into them. Neal's eyes told her that he had little hope to do anything but ease their pain.

Kel didn't notice the tears that ran down her cheeks. She could barely stand, let alone function without direct orders. Her nerves were raw and her head pounded with the incessant sound of canon fire.

When two Rider Trainees brought in Corporal Didion from Dom's Company, Kel lost the ability to breathe. The young man had burn marks that reached from his chest, across his abdomen and down his right leg. The stench was unbearable and for the third time that day, Kel vomited into a basin.

When Neal looked at her, Kel shook her head and backed up against the wall. Before Neal could say or do anything, she fled the infirmary to the courtyard.

Reaching the courtyard, Kel sunk to her knees and buried her head in her hands. Breathing heavily, she sucked in the heavily ash ridden air and began to cough. Unknown hands passed her a flask and she took a sip before leaning back against the wall.

A resounding _boom!_ echoed through the courtyard and the walls shook hard enough that mortar was dislodged from between the stones. The sound was deafening and when Kel opened her eyes, ash and dust clouded everything.

For a moment Kel couldn't comprehend what was happening as chaos erupted around her_. Great Merciful Goddess, they have breached the gates_, she thought.

Grabbing her sword from the sheath that lay beside her, Kel hauled herself to her feet as another blast shook the castle.

* * *

Alanna the Lioness sliced and chopped her way from the beach to the cliffs and then from the cliffs to the gates. Finding them already open, her intensified anger fueled her fight through the mass of bodies and to the staircase that led to her husband's study.

Dragging the body of the red-robed mage behind her, she flung open the door and tossed the woman in.

"You wanted a mage, I brought you a mage" she told her husband as amethyst fire lashed around the woman's unconscious figure and bound her to a chair.

"How did you manage this one?" George asked with a crooked smile. Exhaustion had deepened the lines around his eyes.

"I do occasionally control my temper" she replied tartly before storming from the room and heading towards her invaded courtyard.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Disclaimer:** I surrender all to Tamora Pierce._

**CHAPTER 16**

Kel brought her blade across the pirate's shoulder, forcing him to drop his weapon. A quick swing and he toppled to the ground.

She barely had a chance to catch her breath before another raider was on her. Her sword flashed and glinted in the setting sun as the last rays of orange and pink light faded from the sky. In the back of her mind, where her thoughts remained calm and methodical, she knew that they needed to win before true darkness set in.

Dispatching another pirate to the Black God's realms, she stepped over his body and headed towards the gaping hole in the stone wall where the gate had been. Canon fire had blown a hole through the Tortallan defenses and the wooden gate, but soldiers dressed in blue and silver slowed the stream of raiders pushing their way into the courtyard.

Dodging the arrows being fired from above, Kel continued to deny the enemy entrance to the castle.

* * *

Numair couldn't find Daine. Standing on the Western wall, watching the ships in the harbor, the mage sought to find his wife amongst the rocks of the beach where he knew she would seek sea water to relieve her exhaustion. But he couldn't see her.

Raising a spyglass to his eye, he watched the patterns and pointed direction that the birds flew. Daine had given them a job to do. Moving the spyglass steadily along the water, he caught sight of shadows moving along the hull of the main ship. Following the movements, he watched as a group of seals surfaced at the rear of the ship and remained out of the view of the crew. Numair felt his stomach tighten.

He swore loud enough to turn heads when a seal changed to a rat and began climbing the ship's wooden hull. His swearing became louder when the rat began investigating the barrels of blazebalm that were stacked on the starboard side of the ship.

_I'm going to kill her. I'm going to kill Havarahi and then I'm going to kill her_, Numair fumed as he collapsed the glass. _If he doesn't kill her first._

* * *

The mage was being difficult. Not that George blamed her considering she had been dragged through a war zone by his wife and chained to a chair and was now being questioned under knife point, but she was becoming quite frustrating.

"I am not sure you understand the gravity of the situation. Whether the Black Pirate binds the Kraken or not, you will be facing death and at this rate he will be free" George explained to the dark haired woman who had refused to speak a word since she awoke.

She glared at him. George lost his patience and slammed the dagger through her hand instead of beside it. She shrieked in pain.

"I want a spell and I want it now" George reminded her coolly.

A knock on the door signaled the arrival of Numair who stormed in with his robe flapping and his Gift sparking in anger. Striding across the room to the mage he wrapped a black clouded hand around her neck and slammed her against the back of the chair.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked in an icy voice. Her eyes widened and she nodded. "Do you understand what I want?" he asked in the same voice. She nodded again.

"Than I suggest you start talking, Mistress" George suggested, twirling another blade.

Information began pouring from her lips.

* * *

Neal was empty. He had no more energy or Gift remaining in his veins. Around him lay the evidence of battle. It was something he would never get used to.

Blood covered the floor and dripped from the cots. They had rationed every herb and potion down to the lowest amounts, reserving them for the most necessary and Neal hated to admit it, only those most likely to survive.

He sighed and rubbed at eyes that itched with hands that were stained red and black. He hadn't slept even when Roald and Shinko had ordered him to bed earlier. His dreams were filled with screams only for him to wake and keep hearing them.

Kel had disappeared over an hour ago after one of Dom's men had come in. Neal had never seen her look so defeated or so human. She had run and he had neither the time nor energy to chase her. When the sound of the gates crashing met his ears, he hoped his prayers would save her.

A commotion at the doorway and Lord Wyldon's booming voice caused Neal to stir from his jumbled thoughts and focus on the new flood of injured coming through the door.

A Swoop soldier supported a bloody Wolset who was favoring his left side and a Rider was arguing with the Lord of Cavall who insisted on continuing to bark formation orders despite his obviously broken hand. Neal was about to silence him with a snarky comment when two Riders entered with a bruised and battered Captain wearing Own colors and a silver wedding band.

* * *

Daine the rat watched as well aimed arrows brought down mage after mage aboard the pirate ship. She had counted four when she boarded the ship and when the last one fell, she took a chance.

Turning within herself, she felt the presence of the Kraken. He was almost to the harbor and his voice rumbled dark and cool in her head.

_Let me take them, Little Fish. Let me dine on their legacy._

_Dine all you like, but I will send this ship to you in ashes,_ Daine told him. She could have sworn his response was kin to a laugh.

Daine withdrew herself from his mind and opened her rat eyes to the screams of those on the water. She watched for only a moment as the Kraken began to break apart the ship on their starboard side. Turning her gaze back to her task, she let the rat shape go and grabbed onto thoughts of mountains and hunting.

Pirates drew weapons as a mountain lion appeared on the deck of the Black Pirate's ship. She barely hesitated before dagger long and razor sharp claws slashed through the wooden barrels of blazebalm, causing them to topple and spill across the deck.

Daine leaped and shifted and she bolted over the railing of the deck, hitting the water in the form of a seal. She winced as yellow colored Gift stung her but she maintained the shape until she reached the darkened beach. Flopping down between the beach stones, she let the thoughts of seaweed and fish go and resumed her human form.

Then she blacked out.

* * *

Numair fled George's study when he felt the castle walls shake and tremble with the ship's explosion. Reaching the staircase, he mounted it three steps at time until he reached the top. Once there, he ran to the ledge and gazed towards the ships in the harbor.

The main ship was burning spectacularly. It listed to one side as its passengers leapt from the deck to land in water that was churning with the grasping tentacles of the Kraken. Numair could see only remnants of the other ships.

His eyes scanned the waters, the beach, and stopped when they lit upon the fallen creature in the rocks. Swearing under his breath he launched himself towards the staircase and tore through the castle.

He was still muttering threats when he reached the beach. Blasting offending rocks out of his way accomplished more than just satisfying his frustration. Reaching his wife's unconscious and naked form he bent down to brush the wet curls from her face.

Her eyes fluttered open and her grin turned into a grimace as she shifted. Numair's practiced gaze swept her body and landed on a nasty looking burn that was the size of a grapefruit and covered part of her right side. She ducked her eyelashes for a moment before sweeping them back up and focusing on something behind his head.

"Behind you!" she hissed.

Numair barely put a shield up before the familiar yellow Gift blasted into it.

* * *

Kel winced as the wound on her forearm pulled. She had hastily bandaged it before helping with the wounded.

The raiders had run or surrendered when the ships in the harbor began exploding. The vision of the Kraken rising from the depths had convinced even the most stubborn. Now she helped to search through the bodies.

Exhaustion had numbed her emotions. Or so she thought until her sight fell upon a familiar shade of red hair.

"Merric!" she cried, dropping beside him.

Rolling him over, she traced her hands over his chest and ribs. A cry escaped her lips when she found the gaping wound of a spear in his abdomen. Calling for help, she gazed to her right and found a shield bearing the crest of Goldenlake with a red border. It marked the Lady of the fief.

* * *

Alanna found Daine and Numair on the beach.

She stopped a few feet away and watched as Numair fastened his cloak around Daine's shoulders. Both of them looked worn and bruised, but they offered the Lioness a smile as she approached.

She stopped and stood over the body of Russav Havarahi. Numair answered the unasked question.

"Somehow he made it off the ship and followed her to the beach. It wouldn't take a scholar to know who she was. It's a shame he chose this path, his Gift showed promise" Numair told Alanna quietly.

"He said he bound the Kraken" Daine croaked, "but it doesn't matter now since either way the bond is broken. I would ask the Kraken myself, but I am all tapped out." The girl winced as Numair helped her to unsteady feet.

"You're hurt" Alanna said softly, slipping an amethyst sparked hand beneath the cloak to find the injury.

Daine hissed as the burn tingled and then cooled beneath her friend's fingers. Her knees gave out before Alanna finished. Numair caught her.

"I was going to kill you for that little stunt on the ship, Magelet, but now I feel compelled to keep you in my arms" Numair whispered in her ear as they trod across the sand towards the castle.

* * *

The infirmary was in chaos. Patients had been moved to the soldiers' quarters to make room for new casualties.

Neal had sent servants for Roald. Then he turned his attention to his commander. After several unsuccessful attempts at splinting Lord Wyldon's hand, the commander had grown impatient.

"Lad, do us a favor and see to your cousin. I will wait for his highness." Neal simply shook his head at the suggestion.

"My Lord, your rank and duty places you above Dom. He doesn't appear to be dying and he is unconscious. That is actually better than your condition as far as healing goes" Neal told him.

"He better not be dying. Keladry will kill us all" Wolset said from his bed. The words were barely out of his mouth when Kel ran in. Neal thought the blood that covered her was hers until she caught her breath.

"Neal, it's Merric. I don't know if we should move him" she said in a shaky voice. Then her eyes flashed over the row of beds and found her husband. "Dom!"

"He's ok. A couple of bruised ribs and a busted shoulder. It will be easy to heal when someone has enough energy to do so. He's unconscious, thank Mithros. Where's Merric?" Neal surprised himself with how calm he remained.

"At the gate with Raoul and Buri. Merric is…" her voice trailed off as a group of men entered the room with Merric on a stretcher.

"Great Merciful Mother" Roald breathed, having just entered the room from the adjoining study. Dark circles smudged under his eyes. "Neal?"

Neal couldn't tear his eyes off of his friend's body. The blood seemed to come from everywhere and when Roald stripped away the knight's armor and shirt, Neal's stomach churned.

"I can't save him" Neal whispered, looking into Kel's eyes. "He needs more Gift than either of us have. Our life forces wouldn't even be enough. If Alanna was here…"

"She is outside the gate working on Buri. Even if she came now, I don't think she would have anything left. Buri took a crossbolt to her abdomen. I have never seen Raoul like that….Neal do something!" Kel cried as Merric's eyes fluttered open briefly only to let out a scream.

"I can't" Neal told her as she leaned over and forced Merric to look at her.

"You will not die on me, do you hear me? You did not hold that gate to die from a lousy wound to the gut!" Kel told him in a hoarse voice.

"I promised I wouldn't let them in" Merric whispered, his skin pale under the smattering of freckles. "Dom got hurt because I wasn't paying attention…."

"Don't say that. Dom got hurt because he was too busy worrying about where I was" Kel told him, feeling his hand squeeze hers from the pain. Tears leaked from her eyes. "Don't you know, Hollyrose? I'm pregnant. I am going to have a baby and don't think you can escape being a Godsfather simply by dying. That won't work."

"I would be a bad influence. You should choose Owen. Or Neal. Or Wolset." Merric's body convulsed as more blood leaked out of his mouth. His pale blue eyes locked on hers. "I wanted to be a hero…"

"Merric!" Kel called when he didn't finish. "Merric! Don't you dare die and force me to pick Owen! Merric!"

"Kel, let him go" Neal said and he reached to pry her hand out of Merric's grip.

"No!" she cried and then green light exploded around everyone.

* * *

Outside the door to the infirmary, Alanna was arguing with a roaring Raoul.

"Raoul, let me do my job!" she hissed at him as she continued to pour her Gift into her friend.

"I don't see why you can't do it inside" the Commander roared. Everyone in the courtyard froze.

"Because Neal and Roald are drained. They have nothing left. I either save Buri or Hollyrose but I don't have enough left for both. I cannot work inside knowing that his friends are watching me choose your wife over him. You need to….." her voice was cut off by green magic exploding out of the building.

* * *

Neal caught Kel before she hit the ground.

When the light faded, Roald looked at Merric. The knight's features were smooth of pain and his exposed chest and stomach were completely healed except for a scar, a hand span long, which cut across his middle. His breathing was even.

"What just happened? How did you find that much magic in you?" the Prince asked a stunned Neal who knelt on the floor beside Kel.

"Nealan what in the name of all Gods in their realms was that?" called Alanna from the doorway where she motioned for Raoul to lay his fully healed wife on an empty bed.

"It wasn't me" he said looking from Kel to Merric.

"Neal. I don't think Dom is going to be able to deny the family bond anymore" Wolset said. Lord Wyldon raised an eyebrow at Neal in question.

"It was the Gift. The baby has the Gift" Neal whispered with a grin as Alanna helped him place an unconscious Kel on a cot.

"I want to see Dom's face when you tell him" Raoul said with a grim smile.

* * *

_**AN:** So there you have it. A temporary end to the action. Let your heartrates slow down. I was going to with hold this chapter until tomorrow when I could spell check everything for the hundredth time, but I couldn't keep you all in suspense that long. If you do notice something, let me know. Thank you for all the lovely reviews and keep them coming because the story is obviously not over yet!_

_-Jez_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Disclaimer:** I surrender all to Tamora Pierce._

**CHAPTER 17**

Dom awoke to darkness.

Lying still, he blinked several times to clear the colored spots in his vision. Turning his head slightly, he winced at the movement in his shoulder. Lifting his arm off the cot, he reached across his chest and prodded the bruises and scrapes with stiff fingers. A sharp stab of pain caused him to hiss between his teeth.

"Everyone was drained so we had to wait to help you any" Neal said in a quiet voice as his face appeared above Dom's bed. "I can probably mend most of it now though."

"What…" Dom paused for a moment to accept a ladle of water from Neal before continuing. "What bell is it?"

Neal peeled off the covers, exposing Dom's bare chest, before resting green lighted fingers on his cousin's shoulder. The dark bruising shrunk and faded as the swelling diminished.

"It's sometime just before sunrise. The men brought you in around sunset last night." Neal's fingers moved from Dom's shoulder to his side as the ache in his ribs eased.

Neal remained quiet while he worked, working by touch rather than light. Torches flickered by the doorway and on the desk at the end of the room. Dom could make out the outlines of figures asleep on cots throughout the room. He looked at Neal when he realized his cousin had asked something.

"Sorry?"

"I asked how you managed to hold the gate as long you did and only receive some busted ribs and a dislocated shoulder" Neal repeated as he helped Dom into a sitting position on the cot. "Think you can eat?"

"Yeah" Dom said, accepting a bowl of warm stew. "I don't really remember what happened. I guess I'm still hazy on the details. All I remember is watching Merric take a spear in the gut before someone swung a mace at me."

The spoon clattered into the bowl in his lap as he grabbed Neal's arm.

"Neal! Where's Merric!" Dom asked in a shaking voice. Neal shushed him.

"Keep it down, will you. People are resting. As for Merric, Kel found him after things calmed down. He had a pretty serious wound; one that I'm not sure I would have been able to fix on a day where I was at my best" Neal watched Dom's face register what he was saying. "He's fine now. Kel saved him."

"What do you mean Kel saved him? Where is she?" Dom pushed the food away and thrust the covers off to swing his legs over the edge of the bed. A strong arm stopped him.

"Captain get back in that bed" Raoul growled from where he had been sitting between his wife's bed and Dom's. He ignored the look Dom gave him as he obeyed. "Keladry is a few beds down. She was exhausted. If you promise to be quiet and follow directions, we can make some adjustments to the current sleeping arrangements."

"I just need to see her" Dom said softly, looking behind Raoul at the sound of movement.

The light was still dim, distorting the shadows while the torchlight illuminated the edge of Dom's bed and his commander. When she stepped into the small circle of light, he frowned.

Dark circles were smudged under her eyes and her hair had fallen from its pins. Someone had stripped her out of her ruined tunic and breeches and dressed her in a blue woolen nightgown. Her feet were bare and supported unsteady legs. Neal and Roald supported her on either side as she made her way to the end of her husband's bed.

"Neal says you're making a scene" she said, amused.

"You look like you've been visited by the Black God" Dom told her as she took a seat on the edge of the bed.

"Blame your child" Neal informed him as he motioned to two men to move the patient out of the bed beside Dom. Looking at Kel, he pointed to the now empty bed. "Lie down, my Lady. I let you rest, and now you're having the exam you've been avoiding."

"What's wrong? Why are we blaming the baby? You still haven't told me about Merric. I thought the man was dead when I saw him get run through." Dom watched Kel lie back on the bed without an argument.

She turned her head to look at him.

"The baby has the Gift. Or that's what they are telling me" Kel said to him. A small smile played on her lips. "It's green so I am blaming your side of the family."

"My baby has the Gift? But how? Or rather how do you know?" Dom looked at Roald who was saying something to Neal. Neal sighed and left them alone for a moment as he headed down the rows of cots.

"Merric was dying and Kel was beyond being able to think rationally. Master Numair says it's understandable that in her state of exhaustion and her inexperience with possessing it herself, she wouldn't have had any control over it. He says he has seen it with Daine, especially before she could control her magic, when an animal's need was so great it pulled the power from her without hesitation. Kel was desperate enough to channel the baby's Gift" Roald explained as he handed Kel a cup of tea.

"It's not an everyday occurrence, but nothing to worry about. It just means she is going to be more tired than normal and no more excitement. You're not trained in controlling magic, so we really don't want a repeat of last night." The last comment was from Neal and directed at Kel. "Now if everyone could give the Lady Knight some privacy, we are going to make sure Baby Healer Masbolle is not feeling any backlash."

Everyone returned to their duties or found something to do as Neal pulled up a stool. Draping blankets across her bent knees, Neal positioned a stack of pillows behind her and told her to lean back. She looked across at Dom and gave him a tired smile.

"You should be asleep, Soldier" she told him quietly.

"So should you" he told her in response.

"Both of you are giving me a headache" Neal growled as he got permission from Kel to pull up the nightgown, exposing only her belly between the sheets and the clothes.

Using his fingers, he let his magic dance across her stomach as he searched for any problems. Fully dressed, Kel hadn't drawn attention to the new weight. Undressed and exposed, Neal could see the prominent curve her belly was forming. He slipped a measuring tape marked with knots and spaces around her hips and brought the ends over her belly button, marking where the size fit in reference to the numerous knots.

"Well this fits with our timeline" he told them, "You're right around sixteen weeks and everything is perfect." He was smiling as he stood. "I am going to grab you some balm for those nasty bruises on your ribs and then I want you to sleep."

She nodded. She was already half-asleep when Neal returned. She shifted slightly as he settled himself on the stool and dipped a fingertip into the gunk. Reaching under the nightgown, he smeared the cool balm over her side where debris and rocks had connected. When he finished, he saw she was asleep. He set the tea aside and pulled the pillows out from behind her back. Easing her onto her side, into a better position, he pulled the gown down to cover her belly and tucked the blankets in around her.

He turned when he heard Dom's voice.

"She's beautiful" he whispered, watching as his wife's hand fluttered to rest over her swollen stomach.

"She's exhausted. She needs to go home" Neal told him.

"We'll go when this is over. She wants to see the apples at Masbolle. Soon" Dom insisted, easing himself onto his pillows.

Neal left when he knew he was asleep.

* * *

_AN: The next few chapters are done, so despite the crazy, upcoming school schedule I should be able to get one chapter up a day for the next few days._


	18. Chapter 18

_**Disclaimer:** I surrender all to Tamora Pierce._

**CHAPTER 18**

September at the Swoop arrived the week the seals migrated north toward the ice flows. The warmth of the days continued and gave way to chilly nights. The skies remained clear which helped with the massive efforts to rebuild the Swoop's walls and defenses.

Autumn and the harvest were fast approaching when Kel spotted riders approaching the castle. Slipping from her seat on the wall where she had been on watch, she motioned to one of the men to sound the warning call. The riders returned the signal for friend. Kel met them at the gates and was caught up in a hug before she had the chance to greet them.

Dom hit the ground and gathered her in his arms, covering her hair with kisses. His men patiently waited, slightly uncomfortable with the scene. When she finally stepped back to let them into the courtyard, she realized that they had drawn an audience from the stonemasons and carpenters at work on the gates and walls.

"I trust your journey was uneventful" she said, making a stab at propriety. Her cheeks burned as she felt everyone's eyes on her.

"It was. Although I have a message for my Lord that may cause a slight disruption" Dom replied as he handed a horse to a hostler.

"Orders? They are not sending you back into the field so soon, are they? Not everyone is fit and this place remains unprepared." Kel looked into Dom's face, hesitant that he would confirm her fears.

"They are orders, but not that kind. That last batch of raiders we escorted to Corus were directly involved with binding the ships and their men which means they are to be tried not by a Tortallan Court Magistrate, but by the University Panel of Representative Mages. They are requesting the presence of all Commanders and mages for questioning and as witnesses. We are to be in Corus by the end of September" Dom told her as they walked towards Raoul's office in the soldiers' wing.

"We?" she asked, stopping in mid-stride.

"We" he insisted, laughter in his voice. "Both our names are on the Writs to Appear."

Kel sighed and left him at Raoul's door.

* * *

"Stop fidgeting or she will poke you" Yuki ordered as she watched the seamstress measure and pin the gown to fit Kel's figure.

Upon receiving official orders that she was to appear in front of the Mages Panel in two weeks, Kel had sought Yuki's help in procuring a skilled seamstress to rework her wardrobe.

"I don't understand why we can't simply alter my existing gowns. Or why I can't just appear in uniform" Kel complained, regretting her decision.

"Because there is barely enough room for alteration now. In a week's time they won't fit. You may have been able to hide your condition during the summer but not any longer. As for uniform, you are not appearing as a commander because you were officially off duty. Besides, dresses are easier to alter than breeches" Yuki explained as she sifted through the wads of fabric the seamstress had brought from town.

"My Lady, I must insist you stop moving" the seamstress said quietly as she began pinning the bottom of the gown.

"I'm sorry, but this is extremely uncomfortable. Plus I keep feeling this fluttering in my stomach. You would swear I was full of nerves or such" Kel told her, pressing a hand to her stomach. She could feel the flickering pulse-like movement and looked up when Yuki approached her.

"Show me where" she said gently with a soft expression on her face. Kel guided her hand to rest on her rounded belly and watched as Yuki waited a moment and then stepped back only to lean forward and embrace her in a hug.

"What is it?" Kel asked, uncertain.

"It's kicking. It will get harder but right now it feels like butterflies" Yuki told her and watched the astonished look on Kel's face as she slid her hand back to feel it.

"Get Dom, would you? Don't tell him why, just bring him here" Kel asked quietly, almost a whisper, as she felt her baby move again.

* * *

Dom was in the practice courts watching as Wolset and Merric went through practice drills. Under the intense watch of Lord Raoul and the Lioness, they blocked, defended and parried invisible blows. The Captain turned when he felt a light touch on his elbow.

"Kel asked me to find you and send you to your rooms. She has a surprise" Yuki told him with a secretive smile.

"A surprise? What kind of…" he trailed off as the Yamani shook her head.

"It's not for me to tell. Go to her."

* * *

Neal was adding the supplies brought from Corus by Dom's company to the depleted jars in the Swoop's infirmary when Lord Wyldon of Cavall entered the room. Neal put aside his task and offered the man a drink and a seat.

"No thanks, Queenscove. I am here on official business in regards to a personal matter" the Commander replied.

"You are asking about Keladry" Neal said bluntly.

"Yes. Technically she is not on active duty but she is still required as a witness. If we are to be in Corus in two weeks, how long will it take her to travel?"

"We did the trip here in three days. We pushed it though. If you are willing to be patient with her, she could probably do it in a week. Maybe faster" Neal added.

"Good. The King is sending two Rider groups and Eighth Company to replace those who need to travel. Tenth Company will return after they see the Prince and Princess to Corus safely. They should be here by the time we depart." Wyldon made to leave.

"So we're going home, Sir?" Neal asked wearily.

"Yes, Neal. We're going home. I hear Masbolle's apples are glorious in October" the Commander stated.

"They are, My Lord."

* * *

Dom found the door to their rooms propped open and late afternoon sun streaming through the windows. He watched from the doorway as the seamstress tucked and pinned and hemmed, all while Kel watched her in the full length mirror.

The gown was a deep rustic red edged with gold and dark brown. It had a squared neck that dipped as low as possible without being distasteful and was gathered under her bust. The sleeves were tight and stopped short of her elbows, a stark contrast to the flowing lines of the skirt which started at the high waistband and fell over her belly to the floor. The overskirt was split to reveal the dark brown and embroidered underskirt. There was no denying the pregnancy now. The gown was one of several with the same cut. He watched a moment longer before stepping into the room.

"Yuki said you wanted me for something" he inquired, making his way across the room to her.

She waited for the woman to place a pin before bobbing a curtsy and excusing herself. Kel looked down for a moment, one hand on her front, before looking back up at Dom.

"Come here" she said quietly, beckoning with her free hand. Taking his hand she placed it over her belly where her own hand had been. "Here. Feel that?"

Dom nodded his head, not sure if the fluttering pulse he felt was what she was referring to.

"That's the baby" she said quietly, watching his face.

"It's moving" he murmured.

"Yeah. It is" she replied.

She caught the grin on his face before he caught her face in his hands and kissed her.

* * *

It was two nights later in the dining room when Raoul stood and waited for the nobles to quiet.

"My Lord of Cavall and the Lioness have been planning and discussing our departure. The last group of replacements arrived this morning so nothing is left except packing the wagons" the Commander announced.

Kel looked away from her conversation with Yuki.

"I suggest you all get a good night's rest. We leave the day after tomorrow" he announced.

The sudden chattering was silenced by Alanna's voice.

"We hope to be in Corus in a week's time. The trials should not last more than a couple of days. Those of you summoned as witnesses will be granted a month's leave when you are finished. The rest of you will begin leave from the moment you reach Corus. The only exception to this rule is Third Company" the Lioness said. She paused for a moment to smile before continuing. "I believe Lord Raoul has assigned Third Company to Fief Masbolle for the harvest. They have told the King that they fear an early frost and could benefit from extra hands."

Kel was not blind to the wink Raoul gave her from the head of the table. She smiled when she learned Dom hadn't either.

"Early frost my life" he muttered, "they want to ensure we actually arrive in one piece."

* * *

_AN: I am giving you two chapters at once because I haven't posted in a couple of days, I couldn't decided if I should have combined these new chapters into one, and this one is loaded with fluff and the next is slightly more intense. Let me know what you think!_

_Oh, and I noticed punctuation errors in the last chapter and appreciate those of you pointing it out. In the future if you do see some, please be really specific. Half the time I am posting at midnight my time and the commas begin to look like dust spots on my laptop screen instead of text. Thanks!_


	19. Chapter 19

_**Disclaimer:** I surrender all to Tamora Pierce._

**CHAPTER 19**

Kel shifted in the saddle. She didn't want to be in Corus. Normally she would feel herself relax when the gates came into view and race Dom to the stable yard. But this time she was in no mood for a homecoming.

"I thought you would be glad to be home" a voice rumbled behind her.

"It doesn't feel like coming home" Kel replied to Raoul without turning around. "We're only here for the trial and no matter how many times I am called upon I will continue to despise my role in it."

"That's understandable. We can only hope it is quickly completed" Raoul told her before calling to the guards to allow them access to the city.

* * *

It was completed quickly enough, Kel supposed as she stood at the base of the hill below the gallows. The sight of the executioner caused her to shudder though as she fought the urge to leave.

"Raoul granted us leave, Love. We don't need to be here" Dom said quietly in her ear. He had moved closer when he saw the shudder run through her. He remembered the look of horror on her face that first time she witnessed a Tortallan execution as a squire.

Kel shook her head and stepped into his arms. She closed her eyes and took a slow breath as she cleared her thoughts. Dom placed his hands over hers and squeezed.

"My testimony condemned them. Not just mine, but we all offered parts of the puzzle that led them here. If I cannot find it in me to witness their deaths as consequence, than I should never have testified" she told him softly.

"They knew the consequences of their actions" Merric said from her other side, having arrived with Neal and Lord Wyldon.

"And I knew mine when I agreed to the Order to Appear" Kel retorted.

Any further arguments were abruptly finished when the horn blast blew to signal the condemned to step up. Four at a time, for a total of five times, pirates and mages waited as the magistrate read their crimes and convictions. Then the hangman pulled the lever and enacted the Crown's Justice. Kel could see Roald and Shinko standing in the front, dressed in court finery and acting on behalf of the King.

"We can leave" Dom told her, breaking through Kel's fortress of emotions.

She nodded and let him lead her through the throngs of people. When they reached the quiet of their rooms, Dom wrapped his arms around her as they both stood at the window.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, brushing a tendril of hair off her forehead.

"A month isn't long enough" she said with a small smile.

"I know. You could stay for the winter. We discussed it, I know, but the offer is there. You don't have to return with me in November" Dom replied and she sighed.

"It is so tempting, but I still say no. You have to be back in Corus by the beginning of November and who knows when you will get leave again. I want to be here for Midwinter and that means I return from Masbolle with you before I can't ride." She twisted in his grip and looked up. "We will just have to make the best of a short time."

"Than I suggest we get on our way. If we leave by the noon bell then we can be to Naxen roads by dark. I still don't think you should be sleeping on the ground with the rest of us, but Meathead failed to take my side" Dom told her.

"It's bad enough that everyone I meet has fawned over me since we have arrived or that the ride here consisted of Raoul and Alanna bickering over how best to tell me to slow down, I will not have your men treat me like a piece of glass they are being paid to conduct into the hands of a buyer" Kel responded, snapping more than she intended.

"No one would ever dare relate you to glass, Kel. I am going to make sure Wolset packed our bags in the wagons and have the horses saddled. Neal asked you to stop by the infirmary before we leave" Dom added before grabbing a few small remaining bags from the floor and heading out the door.

"I thought Wyldon gave Neal leave and they were coming with us" Kel called to him, causing him to stop for a moment.

"Uncle arranged for a group of Queenscove men to accompany them tomorrow. Aunt Cecilia is already at Masbolle and she is returning to Queenscove by next week. Infirmary now, Kel" he replied before continuing out the door.

* * *

Neal wasn't in the infirmary when she arrived. After accepting help from an apprentice, she changed into a loose dressing gown before standing in front of the floor to ceiling windows that faced the River Olorun and watching the boats traveling towards the docks. The morning sun beating through the windows was warm for it being early October but fall was evident by the reds and golds of the trees lining the palace walls and the opposite side of the water. She turned at the sound of footsteps.

"I wasn't sure you would come" Neal said. His voice echoed slightly against the high stone walls of the room.

"I'm not stupid Neal. I am aware of the risks. That doesn't mean I plan to lock myself in a room without any sharp objects. I have a life" she snapped as she left the window and took a seat on the edge of one of the beds.

"Good to know all those second trimester hormones have kicked in" Neal replied blandly as he got her to lie back.

Kel sighed as she leaned into the pillows. She hadn't meant to be so irritable. He was right to assume she would try to get out of it. She flinched as Neal's magic flashed against her belly.

"What was that?" she asked.

"Nothing. I was just checking some stuff" Neal assured her.

"Are you sure?" an edge of panic had crept into her voice.

"Nothing is wrong. What has you so on edge? Anyway, everything is fine. If you run into problems on the road, I want you to stop and send for help. We are leaving tomorrow morning and we are following the same roads. If something happens, we will be no more than a day's ride behind you" Neal instructed as he helped her up.

She sat on the bed and pulled the gown closer, resting both hands on either side on her stomach. Neal watched her for a moment, sliding his trained eyes over the circles under her eyes that contrasted with her expertly coifed hair.

"Have you been sleeping?" he prodded.

"No" she sighed as she stood. "It's uncomfortable and the last couple of days have been hard. Announcing in an open courtroom that I was not a commander because I am pregnant was not one of my most joyous memories" she told him with a small smile.

"I thought Raoul was going to kill Lord Hazanford when he asked that. He knew the answer and had no reason to put you on the spot like that" Neal replied.

They both looked up at the sound of heavy footsteps on the polished floor. Dom was dressed for the road in dark breeches and unpolished mail under a dark blue tunic with the crest of the King's Own. His sword and dagger hung at his waist and he held a hamper of clothing.

"I wasn't sure if you wanted this or not, but I figured you wouldn't want to ride in a gown" he told her as he placed his burden on the bed.

She nodded her thanks, waiting for Neal and Dom to leave the room before tossing the dressing gown on the bed and donning the clothes Dom had brought. Dark breeches that Lalasa had altered and a woolen shirt that was fitted on top, gathered under her bust and slid over her belly were paired with a heavy woolen coat that came to the middle of her thighs. Her mail and armor no longer fit. Her boots were becoming increasingly difficult to put on but she managed. Dom had even brought pins and a net of dark brown lace that she was able to pile all her hair into before securing it to the crown of her head.

Piling the gown she had worn to the infirmary into the basket, she carried it to the hall where Neal and her husband waited.

"Ready to go, Sweet?" he asked as he took the basket from her.

"I'm going to follow you out" Neal said, ignoring the suspicious look Kel shot his way.

She shrugged it off and led the way to the stables. She waited while Dom stored the remainder of their belongings into the wagons before coming back to help her into the saddle.

Neal grasped Dom's arm before he mounted.

"Remember what I said. Keep an eye on her. If she's tired, she rides with you. Do not let her fall" Neal warned.

"She's not getting out of my sight, Neal. We'll see you at Masbolle. Don't forget Cai this time" Dom teased.

"One time" Neal insisted. "One time. And we only got to the gates before we realized."

* * *

"Sir we need to get off the road!" Sergeant Jokun called to Dom as he rode full tilt toward them.

Dom's vision sharpened as he took in his surroundings. Looking back up at Jokun, he reined in his horse.

"What did you find?" Dom asked.

"A quarter mile up the road, where we leave the Naxen roads for Masbolle, centaurs raided the village. I counted twenty in the herd. We may have had a chance under regular circumstances, Sir, but with my Lady…." He didn't need to finish the sentence.

Dom's arms tightened around Kel's waist as he thought. She hadn't slept the night before and when Dom caught her dozing off on Hoshi's back he had taken her into his saddle. She hadn't even woken when they stopped to water the horses. Jokun was right in saying they needed to get off the road.

"Send someone back along the road to warn the Queenscove party and someone east to Masbolle. We are another day's ride from home but there should be guards at Cedarwood. The rest of us are going to find shelter along the road and wait it out" Dom ordered.

They almost made it. As Dom waited on the edge of the road watching as the last of their supplies were led off the road, he caught sight of the immortals in the distance.

A moment later the man to his right fell from his horse with an arrow in his back.


	20. Chapter 20

_**Disclaimer:** I surrender all to Tamora Pierce._

**CHAPTER 20**

Kel awoke when she was abruptly kissed and shoved from the saddle.

Well shoved was a harsh word she told herself as solid arms took her from the warmth of her husband's body. It took several moments for her cloudy, sleep deprived brain to register that something was happening.

"Put me down" Kel ordered, opening her eyes and blinking away the black spots caused by the harsh sunlight.

"Kayden! Get her out of here!" Dom bellowed from somewhere to the side of them.

"What is going on!" Kel yelled as she felt herself placed on her feet and guided away from the sound of swords clashing and hollering. "Soldier, I demand an answer!"

"The scouts were spotted by centaurs on the road. We tried to get off the road but we were too late. We're outnumbered and at a disadvantage. We're waiting for help from the Cedarbrook guards" Kayden of Quarry's Hill told her as he unsheathed her sword from her waist and handed it to her.

"How many?" Kel asked. Taking a stance beside the man Dom had designated her guard, she watched Third Company fight off the centaurs.

"Twenty were seen on the road" he told her and heard her sharp intake of breath. "The Captain ordered me to keep you safe in the instance that someone breaks through."

She could see that the centaurs were driving the men further into the trees where it was harder to move. Kel drew out a Yamani throwing star and held it in her hand.

"They need help. I am fine here and fully capable of defending myself. Go to your Company's aid!" Kel ordered. Taking aim she flung the star into the neck of a centaur to the left of Dom.

"My Lady! I…" The argument was halted at the sound of horn blasts and the thundering of hooves.

"In the name of the King of Tortall and the Lord of Fief Masbolle, I hereby place you under arrest!" roared the leader of the new arrivals. Everyone froze.

"No mortal ruler shall impart justice on us!" cried the centaur's leader. His human parts resembled those of a middle aged man with graying hair cut short and spiked. His horse parts were blue roan with a scar running the length of his right flank. He held a short sword in his right hand and his left arm dripped silver tinted blood.

Kel saw the flicker of muscle in his arms but so did Dom. The centaur had barely moved to swing the sword when Dom's blade flashed across his neck. The immortal dropped to land at his feet.

"Maybe we should have traveled at a slower pace to reach you, brother" the leader from Masbolle said dryly as he swung out of his saddle.

Kel grinned as Vidanric of Masbolle, heir to the fief, clasped hands with his younger brother. Danric shared Dom's dark hair and sharp wit but his eyes were more like Neal's. A group of men dismounted when he did. They were all dressed for hunting in dark browns and greens with quivers of arrows strapped to each of their horses. Greetings were called to Dom who smiled in return.

"Your timing as usual was impeccable although your presence is a surprise" Dom replied, sheathing his sword.

"We were hunting in the woods beyond Cedarbrook. Father has forbidden us from touching the game around the castle until after the Harvest Festival games are complete. We ran into your messenger before he reached town" Danric explained as he began to survey the damage. "You seem to have gotten lucky. Only minor injuries that can wait until we reach the town."

"Luck shouldn't have had anything to do with it. We would have been more prepared if not for……Mithros' Shield! Keladry!" Dom exclaimed.

Turning from his brother he scanned the trees for her. He relaxed visibly when she appeared from behind Kayden and Wolset. Striding across the several feet that separated them he cupped her face in his hand when he reached her and scanned her for any harm.

"I'm fine. Just bruised from being yanked from the saddle while half asleep" she told him quietly; aware that Danric and the men were watching them.

"I can send someone for Neal" Dom told her as he slid his hand from her cheek to her belly. "Maybe we should as a precaution."

"The Meathead is coming? This is going to be a fabulous time, then. Lady Keladry, I welcome you home again" Danric called to her from a few feet away.

"Thank you, Danric. I look forward to some quiet." He laughed at her comment.

"My Lady Knight. I can guarantee relaxation and peace but I cannot promise quiet. You should know Masbolle by now" he told her.

She laughed with him as Dom led her to the horses. Helping her into the saddle before swinging up behind her, Dom craned his neck to make sure everyone was able to ride.

"This close to Festival, I am assuming that Masbolle has become a circus" Dom surmised.

His brother laughed as Dom called the order to move out and continue on.

"Just as well we have our extra hands from the Crown to help with our 'early frost' fears" Danric joked.

"Father always expects the worst to happen" Dom said darkly.

"No. You two have simply led him to believe that you seek trouble where it ought not to be found" Danric answered.

* * *

The next day, the group of soldiers, nobles and huntsmen passed through the outer gates of Masbolle. Cheers erupted when villagers and travelers recognized the sons of the Lord. Ladies offered curtsies to Kel along with well wishes when they saw her condition.

Scents of pastries, cheeses and cured meats assaulted Kel's nose. Colorful banners and flags hung from window sills and balconies, flapping slightly in the breeze. Music from bards whistled in the air and Kel saw tumblers and Players giving shows down side alleys.

Turning in his saddle to look behind, Danric grinned at Kel.

"My Lady, I welcome you to the Harvest Festival. Although I welcome the addition of another niece or nephew, it is a shame that we will not be able to witness your tilting talents first hand" he called back to her.

Dom saw the look of confusion and then realization on Kel's face when she absorbed his brother's comment.

"You didn't tell me" she accused him.

"About the tournament? No, I didn't. Besides, where would we have packed the lance?" Dom quipped.

"I have a few suggestions for the next time" Kel muttered darkly.

* * *

Kel stood in the circle of moonlight that spilled through the window and onto the floor of the couple's bedroom. The windows were shut against the chill of the deepening autumn, but strands of music could be heard coming from the Great Hall at the other end of the castle. Laughter floated up from the gardens below as couples enjoyed the festive air and ale supplied by the Lord.

Dom watched her from the bed. He had awoken from sleep and found her place beside him cold. Traveling the room, his eyes had found her at the window. Drinking in the sight of her, he let her thoughts be her own.

She wore only a think cotton shift with long arms and a hem that fell to the floor. In the dark, with her silhouette outlined by the moon, his eyes kept returning to the swelling babe beneath the nightgown. Six months ago they had created something from the both of them. Equal parts that made them connected. Now, as it grew and kicked, Dom was still amazed that he could create something that divine.

She heard him move and when she turned, hazel eyes met sapphire ones. She shifted from one foot to the other, one hand resting on top of her abdomen and one supporting it from below.

"What made you get up?" he asked gently, slipping from beneath the covers so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I couldn't sleep and I didn't want to wake you" she replied softly, coming away from the window.

"Mother's advice didn't help?" he inquired. She shook her head.

"I have tried everything. Pillows behind me, pillows under me, pillows between my knees. Tea doesn't work either. Shinko said this is supposed to be the easy time, but I guess she managed to sleep. I figure if I stay awake long enough I will drop from exhaustion and wont care how uncomfortable I am" she joked.

"That's not funny. Look, come to bed and if you don't sleep before sunrise I will get Uncle to knock you out" Dom reasoned as she slid in beside him.

"That sounds inviting" she replied, tucking herself around his warm body and laying her head on his chest.

Letting her lay against him as he worked, he placed a pillow between her knees as she laid on her side and another under her stomach as her free hand rubbed small circles along it. When he finished, he drew the blankets around them both.

"How's that?" he asked. When he didn't get an answer he chanced a look down at her face.

She was sound asleep. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he placed his hand over hers and hugged her to him before drifting off to sleep himself.

* * *

_**AN:** No one died so that should keep you from wanting to strangle me for the fluffy ending. _


	21. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER 21**

"We, the Judges, declare Lord Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak the winner over Sir Nealan of Queenscove!" called the official as the spectators in the stands cheered.

Masbolle was well into its second week of the Harvest Festival, with the tournament being one of the final events. The leaves on the trees had turned to brilliant colors of reds, yellows and golds. The apples were in the final stages of harvesting and the golden fields of wheat had been ploughed and bundled for the winter. The castle staff was preparing for a ball that evening to officially end the celebrations.

Kel clapped for her commander while offering Neal a sympathetic smile. She winced as he peeled himself off the ground and spat the dust from his mouth. She was well familiar with the feeling of being unhorsed by the Giantkiller.

"Now I know why Neal never jousts" came Dom's witty remark from beside her.

"Be kind or you will find your name in the lists" Kel warned, flashing a smile.

"But I, Lady Knight, am not a knight" Dom pointed out as the next set of contenders made their way onto the field.

"Please tell me you don't think that would stop me, Captain" Kel told him, raising an eyebrow.

Dom simply laughed and reached an arm out to wrap around her waist. Dragging her closer, he watched as the herald announced the next round.

"I've never seen your brother joust, even during Progress" Kel mused from in front of him. She leaned closer to the railing and rested her arms on the rough wood.

"He was in the desert during Progress" Dom replied from over her shoulder.

As they watched, Danric pumped his lance at the signal and kicked his horse into a gallop. Lowering his lance over the shoulder of his horse, he aimed for the shield of Alan of Pirates Swoop. The Lioness' son was renowned for his sword and archery abilities, as well as his hand to hand combat. Kel had to admit his tilting capabilities were not bad either, but his slight stature was against him. Danric had no trouble popping the young knight from his saddle. Dom whooped with glee as Danric tore off his helmet and bowed to the crowds.

"That's not fair. _Neal_ could have beaten Alan" Kel told him sharply.

"Thank you, Kel. I will remember who you cheer for the next time I take the field" came the waspish voice of Neal from behind her.

She turned to see him freshly clothed and void of armor. A bruise bloomed brilliantly on his jaw and she saw a slight limp as he swung Cai into the air. Yuki had joined them only moments before.

"I was optimistic" Kel argued.

"Against Raoul? Kel, I'm not even optimistic about you winning against Raoul" Neal retorted.

"I haven't been unseated by My Lord in over a year, thank you very much" Kel snapped.

"True. Except you have only competed twice since the war ended and for the last six and a half months you have been pregnant. The odds are still against everyone but the Stump" Neal pointed out.

"The Stump is currently taking the field" Dom interjected.

Kel and Neal fell silent as they turned their attention towards Lord Wyldon and Lord Haryse of Galdran's Ridge. Cai pulled on a lock of Neal's hair and Neal distractedly pushed his hand away. Chatter was scattered on the air as those around Kel whispered about Wyldon competing. She herself hadn't seen him tilt in almost three years. She had been surprised to find her Chief Commander among the number of knights and nobles who had arrived at Masbolle within the last week.

The match was over quickly with Wyldon saluting the other man as he was carried off the field. Kel couldn't understand why anyone would willingly tilt against the Lord of Cavall. The only times she had done it recently was under order.

"I should go see to him" Neal sighed. "Yuki could you find father? He was with Owen earlier. Silly boy could never tilt. I don't understand why he would go against Roald."

"Kel, can you take Cai while I fetch his Grace?" Yuki asked as Neal left.

Kel nodded and took the child in her arms. She listened absently to his cooing and gurgles as the herald called the next set of contenders. She recognized the shields of King's Reach and Dragon's Inlet. The match ended in a draw.

She looked up, startled, at Dom's voice.

"I'm sorry?"

"I asked if you were staying for the next couple of runs. I am going to see if Father has any requests or needs for this evening's event" Dom told her with a wide smile. They both knew she wouldn't leave the field. "I'll be back."

She grinned and shook her head. He dropped a kiss on her cheek before leaving. She watched him go for a moment before returning her attention to the field again. Raoul had retaken the field opposite Roald as the judges sought to find an overall champion. Kel didn't even tear her eyes away when a squire appeared beside her.

When Raoul had finally managed to break two lances against Roald's shield and have himself declared victorious in the match, Kel acknowledged the squire's presence. It was then that she noticed the owl's crest on his tunic.

"What can I do for you, Squire" Kel asked. Switching Cai to her other hip, she placed a hand at her back.

"My Lady Ilane of Mindelan has requested that you find a seat and stay there. She also instructed me to tell you that she is not asking so much as telling" The young boy said with a bow. "She said if you don't, your brother is likely to tell you the same."

"Which one, Squire? I have a few of them and I was unaware anyone from home was arriving" Kel said with a smile.

"Sir Inness and Sir Anders, my Lady. We arrived this morning. It was meant to be a surprise."

Kel sighed and scanned the crowd with her eyes. At the far end of the field, Kel could make out her elder brother's imposing build and Inness's flashing mail.

"Squire, I require your services to deliver a reply to my mother and a message to my husband" Kel told him.

"Anything, my Lady" the boy said eagerly.

"Tell my mother that sitting is impossible unless she plans to help me stand back up and find my husband and tell him that his brilliant plan of avoiding certain future grandparents has backfired." The squire bowed at her request and scurried off, no doubt wondering if Captain Domitan of Masbolle found Ilane of Mindelan as imposing as he did.

* * *

"May I steal my sister away from you, Captain?" Dom grinned and nodded at Anders of Mindelan as he released Kel's hand and let her brother have the next dance.

Kel watched her husband's retreating back head towards Neal and Yuki before turning her attention to her eldest brother. The Mindelan fief had gone all out in preparation for the ball.

"Your arrival was quite a surprise" she told him quietly.

"So was your news in June. I hadn't expected a niece or nephew from you for years yet" Kel couldn't tell if Anders was teasing or disappointed.

"It was an accident. We're happy about it, but it was unexpected."

"Well I just wanted you to know you look radiant. You really did it- proving you could get anything." He smiled gently into her eyes.

"That's why you came here? Decided it couldn't wait until we visited?" she teased.

"Not that at all" he laughed. "I knew you would try to find a way out of visiting before midwinter. I convinced Mother it would be better for you if everyone was in one place for a short time."

"Does she know that?" Kel asked.

"That you're avoiding a visit. I suspect so. She grumbled through the entire tournament today about how you refuse to sit."

"I don't know how she did it. How any court lady can do it and still look put together" Kel sighed.

"Well whether you like it or not, she plans to impart all her motherly wisdom on you while she's here" Anders told her.

"O Mother Goddess have mercy" Kel hissed.

* * *

_**AN:** So its been quite awhile, but exams and papers and assignments caught up to me and I found myself drowning in actual work. I have every intention of finishing this story in the next two weeks so keep the reviews coming so I can find some inspiration. I have also been sidetracked by a piece I am working on for fictiopress so if you want read it, find my profile and check it out. _

_-Jez_


	22. Chapter 22

_**Disclaimer:** I surrender eveything to Tamora Pierce_

**CHAPTER 22**

Kel looked up from the letter she was reading when she heard a knock on the door the next morning. She could hear sword clashes and shouts from the courtyard below and sighed as she shifted in her chair. She had given up full drill during the last week when she grudgingly admitted she couldn't keep up.

"Come in" she called softly, setting aside the correspondence from Corus as her mother entered the sitting room.

"I thought I would come by when I knew you would not be tired or with Dom. Was I right to assume this was a good time?" Ilane of Mindelan asked, her voice tinkling with good humor.

"Right now is perfect" Kel smiled as her mother enveloped her in a hug, drenching her in the scent of lily-of-the-valley. "Now you can explain why you have suddenly shown up without Father and without a letter."

The Lady of Mindelan gave her youngest child a wry smile and thought before answering her. Keladry had always been headstrong. Independent. She was the one who strode to break the mold and prove she could do anything. She was the first official lady knight and no other girl had yet to follow in her footsteps. Ilane frequently attended Court. She heard the whispers and the musings. She knew Tortall was waiting to watch whether Keladry of Masbolle was going to succeed as both knight and mother. And she knew the young woman standing in front of her, dressed in the dark green dressing gown with her hands pressed to either side of her swollen abdomen, was going to prove that she could do both.

"Darling, I would have sent word but it wasn't planned. We were returning from Corus and I realized that we would not see you until Midwinter and who knows what could happen between now and then and I wanted to see you. I asked the boys and we decided to take a couple of days and go out of our way to see you and Dom. I had no intention of catching you off guard." Ilane gripped Kel's arms and steered her towards the chair.

"Anders said you wanted to impart wisdom" Kel laughed, knowing what lay behind her mother's cryptic meaning of 'who knows what could happen'.

"You don't need my wisdom, Kel. Nothing I could tell you about raising children will be better than your own instincts. Everything you have achieved, everything you strive for- nothing is remotely close to what I did. Your child- and the children after it if you choose- will be strong, and willful and glorious. They will recognize potential and understand duty. They will grow up to be loyal to their families and friends and strangers. They will be your future. Nothing I experienced will change that." Ilane reached out and placed a hand on her daughter's belly, feeling her grandchild kick beneath her hand.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Kel asked, watching her mother's face.

"I may not be able to tell you how to raise a child and fight for the Crown at the same time, but I can tell you how to deal with being pregnant" Ilane told her, eyeing the dark circles under her daughter's eyes. Her son-in-law had been right when he said she was exhausted.

"Have you spoken to Yuki? Because I don't care what she says, nothing is working" Kel said crankily.

"No, I spoke to your husband and Neal" she laughed as Kel raised an eyebrow. "Dom says you're not sleeping well. When I was pregnant with Orani, your grandmother gave me the recipe for a tea that helped. I'll give it to Neal and see if that won't help. I also spoke to Dom about traveling. Are you sure you will still be able to do the ride to Corus in three weeks?" Ilane asked, eyeing the size of Kel's figure. It would be a slow ride in three weeks.

"Actually" Kel said in a slightly disappointed voice as she picked the letter off the table, "we're leaving in less than a week. Raoul notified Dom that Third Company is required to be in Port Caynn by Mid-November to receive the Yamani Prince and his party. They are staying through Midwinter until spring. We leave for Corus in four days." Kel couldn't help the regret in her voice. She wasn't ready for the hustle and bustle of palace life and Dom being called out frequently. The onset of winter would have her confined to palace grounds and indoors.

"Yes, their Majesties have requested our presence for the Midwinter festival. I hope to arrive before the birth of my grandchild" Ilane said as she rose with a rustle of silk. "Anders has requested we leave tomorrow" she added.

"We will see you off" Kel told her, rising more slowly to follow her mother to the door. "And next time you can write ahead to let us know when you will be arriving at the Palace" Kel said with a wink.

"Of course, Darling, but consider it practice for Motherhood. Nothing ever comes with a warning."

* * *

"What are you doing?" Dom called from the open doorway two days later.

The room was in chaos as maids bustled about with baskets and chests of clothing and items to be packed for the trip back to Corus. Kel stood amidst them all, one hand pressed to her back and the other gripping the chair positioned in front of her. She looked up and offered him a small smile as he entered their room.

"Packing. If we are to arrive at the Palace in time we need to leave within the next couple of days. Neal and Shinko are not leaving for another week or so with the caravan and guards from Queenscove so I thought we could send most of our things back with them and take only the essentials. It means fewer wagons for the road" she added before turning to speak to one of the ladies who were packing a chest full of cloaks.

"You're not helping are you?" Dom asked, raising an eyebrow in skepticism.

"Gods above, Dom! No, I am not helping. You can be sure to inform Neal, Shinko, your Mother and every other person in this place that I am not helping." Kel glared at him and changed hands so that the other one rested on her back. Dom saw the wince.

"It's still bothering you?" he asked, striding across the room to help her into a chair. She had mentioned back pain the night before but had brushed it off to wearing uncomfortable shoes. Neal had told him it was normal but he wasn't so sure. "I can get Neal" he offered but she shook her head.

"It's nothing. It's just the stress from all the preparations and lack of sleep" she assured him.

"Why don't you rest? Uncle is in the infirmary wing. Get some of your mother's tea and sleep. I will finish up here" Dom told her, helping her rise. He thought she would protest for a moment but instead she merely nodded.

"I think I will, actually. When they are finished, figure out what can travel with us" she added before lightly kissing her husband's cheek and leaving. Dom watched as she paused at the door before continuing.

* * *

It was late when Dom gently eased the door open to the rook where Kel was sleeping. The sinking sun shed golden light across the bed as the blood red autumn sun sunk below the tree line. He paused at the doorway, watching her sleep as he argued with himself about whether to wake her up.

She was facing the doorway, the covers draped over her waist but exposing her belly. Her hand rested on top as if she was determined to protect their unborn child. Dom crossed the room and sat on the bed, trying not to wake her. Reaching up he brushed the hair off her face and dropped a kiss on her forehead.

Kel stirred. Blinking away sleep she was momentarily blinded by the setting sun.

"You missed dinner but there is some in our room if you're ready to go back" he told her softly.

"I didn't expect your Uncle to knock me out that much" she said, rubbing her eyes and sighing.

"You needed the rest" he answered her, helping her into a sitting position.

"This child is exhausting. And huge. And if one more person tells me it's a boy I am going to pray for a girl out of spite." Kel heaved herself to her feet and let Dom lead her back to their room. "I have never slept as much as I have in the last two weeks as I have in my life."

"What about when we first began courting" Dom suggested with a wink.

"That wasn't sleep. If _that _was what we were doing, I would be in better mood" Kel grumbled as they arrived at their door.

"Well, we have some time…" Dom trailed off as he kissed the spot between her ear and her jaw, smiling when he felt her shiver.

"…And we won't really have time until we are back in Corus…" Kel twisted in his arms so that she could kiss the v that his shirt revealed.

"…And even then we may not get the chance…" Dom's voice was thick with passion as his lips found hers while his hands found the laces to her bodice.

"It would be nice to sleep without tea…." Kel's hands were fumbling with the belt buckle that held his sword while he pushed her gown away from her shoulders.

"You said you had slept enough for one day" he whispered into her ear as he planted kisses along her neck.

"I am going to need to sleep after this…" as she ran her hands over his chest and down to his waist.

"We both are" he grinned.

* * *

Neal had to admit that Kel looked rejuvenated the next morning when everyone gathered in the courtyard to see Third Company off. When he mentioned it to her, she laughed and winked, causing him to blush to the roots of his sun streaked auburn hair.

"We'll see you in Corus" Dom told his cousin, clasping hands with the younger man before tickling Cai on the cheek.

"Take care of her. Don't let her get tired. Make sure you stop enough. Avoid trouble. Stop if there is a prob-" Neal was interrupted by Kel's hand over his mouth.

"Meathead, relax. I'll be fine. You and your father cleared me. You can continue your obsessive worries when you reach the city" she told him before giving him a hug.

"Darling, be sure to write and send us news. We will see you at Midwinter" the Lady of Masbolle told Kel as she gently kissed her cheek.

"Of course" Kel assured her before Dom helped her into the saddle.

When everyone was ready, Dom called to his men to move out. He turned in the saddle to wave to his parents before guiding his horse into position between Kel and Danric who was escorting the group to the edge of Masbolle lands.

Kel turned in her saddle as they reached the gates of the fief, her eyes skimming the groves of bare apple trees and plowed wheat fields. She smiled when she thought of next season, when a little boy or girl would be helping to pick the apples from the trees that Dom had climbed as a child. Cai would be walking by then she realized.

"What are you thinking?" Dom asked gently, waiting for her to refocus her attention. She looked at him and grinned.

"Everything moves so fast" she murmured before turning back toward the road.

They were heading home.

* * *

_A/N: Ok so my two weeks turned into more than a month but things got crazy and I started spring classes and then I got sick...and then my laptop died. And I got completely distracted by Glass Castles on fictionpress, so I am saying sorry. But if you all review this chapter than I will upload the next one which is already done. I am not really happy with this chapter but it is filler and connects Masbolle to Corus. So keep reading and hopefully the next couple of chapters that lead to Midwinter will go up fast._

_-Jez_


	23. Chapter 23

_**Disclaimer:** I surrender all to Tamora Pierce._

**CHAPTER 23**

Dom sighed and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. Opening his eyes again, he saw that the letter had not disappeared from his desk. It lay open on top of supply lists and recruitment notices, its message blazing across the parchment.

'_The Thirteenth Rider Group found Spidrens in the Royal Forest, forty miles east of Galdran's Mountain. I am sending word to Harris with the Fifth, but they may not be able to handle the roads after the snowstorms at the coast. Third Company is being ordered to ready and leave as soon as possible. I will meet you at Galdran's Mountain with Tenth Company in no less than three days hence. –Raoul'_

Dom sighed again as someone knocked on the door to his office. He looked up as Corporal Wolset poked his head in, fully dressed in riding mail and woolen gear for the cold. Dom saw the puddle forming around his feet and glanced towards the window. Snow drifted and settled onto the window pane.

"Make sure every man packs enough to handle being snowed in. If we are forced to send the wagons back we will need enough to handle any emergencies on our own. Did you request a healer?" Dom asked, looking back at his friend.

"His Grace of Queenscove says he can spare Kenten of Fuller's Ridge" Wolset told him.

"The novice?" Dom asked sharply.

"His Grace says the boy did four years of page training before entering the university. He will vouch for his competence. His Grace did say however, that if you are still uncertain, you can take Neal" Wolset offered but Dom shook his head.

"No. We'll take Fuller's Ridge. We need to look at finding healers for the Company anyway. Has everyone reported?" Dom asked, pushing aside the letter and getting to his feet.

Wolset nodded.

"The horses are being readied, as are the ploughs. Everything is in two wagons so even if they do get sent back, or stuck, it won't cause a major problem. Everyone is either packing or in the stables."

Wolset didn't mention that no one was happy about being sent out on another mission, only days after returning from Port Caynn, but Dom suspected it already. He wasn't happy either but what choice did they have?

Winter had arrived fast, furious and earlier than usual. Third Company had only been in Corus for two weeks after returning from Masbolle, before the first snow fall. Now, after a month of frequent snow squalls and ice storms, it was late November and snow drifts blanketed the palace grounds.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Dom was startled out of his thoughts.

"Yeah. I asked when we were leaving" Wolset told him and Dom could hear the annoyance in his voice.

"By the fourth bell this afternoon. I have to pack and tell my wife that I am leaving again after only being home for five days. I have to tell her that I won't be able to escort her to tonight's ball to receive the Yamani visiting party and I won't be around to keep her occupied from going crazy with boredom." Dom winced at the looming task.

"I heard Neal confined her inside" Wolset said with more sympathy.

"It was a mutual decision on the parts of everyone who cares. But she's getting bored and cranky with everything. And I have to go ruin any good day she may have been having" Dom added as he straightened his desk. "Let everyone know we ride out before dinner."

Dom waited for Wolset to leave before grabbing his cloak and heading across the grounds to the palace apartments.

* * *

The Lady Yukimi of Queenscove glanced away from her teacup at the sound of the door opening in Kel's apartments. She had abandoned Cai to the Royal nursery during his nap in order to spend some time with Kel. Now, upon seeing the look on Dom's face as he entered the room, Yuki decided it was time to leave.

"You don't have to leave" Kel said cheerfully as she watched her friend rise from the low table and smooth her dark green skirts.

"No, I'll leave you two alone. Come find me later if you want" Yuki said, giving Kel a small smile.

Kel instantly heard the sympathy in her voice and looked at her husband. He was wearing dull steel mail over the woolen uniform worn by the Own during the cold months. Over the mail was a thick woolen and down lined jacket and she noted that along with the sword at his waist, an axe and dagger also hung from his belt. The cloak thrown over his shoulders was emblazoned with the insignia of the Own.

"You're leaving" she said flatly. She had ridden with the Own enough to know one didn't don full uniform and gear unless for ceremony or obligation. She knew now was a time of obligation.

"Spidrens. Riders found them in the forest east of Galdran's Mountain. The closest Company is snowed in at the coast. Raoul is meeting us in two days" Dom said quietly, watching the disappointment on her face.

"But he knows you just got back!" she cried, biting her lip.

This was not characteristic on her and she knew it but she was finding it increasingly difficult to do the slightest tasks. At eight months pregnant, she hated to admit but she had come to rely on those around her to help pass time that would usually be spent riding with Dom or helping in the training yards. The snow and ice that had built up around the palace had forced her to admit that it was treacherous without someone to help and she had resigned herself to being cooped up indoors. She didn't want him to leave for another week when he had just gotten back.

"I know" her husband said gently, sliding a finger across her cheek, "but we have to go. We'll be gone a week. No more." He hated making promises he knew he may not be able to keep but he knew she needed to hear it.

"You'll be careful? Don't try to keep your promise if it means riding through blizzards and getting lost" she told him darkly, knowing that he valued his own word.

"We'll be careful. I am sure you will find plenty to occupy your time with the Yamani party here. I promise when I get back we will go into the city. Get out of this place for a day." He rested his hands on her stomach, feeling their child kick beneath his hands.

"You should go before they leave without you. You'll need the daylight to reach the Conte road" she told him sadly.

"I'll be back in a few days" he insisted, kissing her gently.

"I know" she told him quietly, watching the door close behind him.

* * *

"What do you want?" Kel asked her visitor darkly three days later.

She was seated by the window in a comfortable chair with the untouched remnants of her breakfast tray on the table beside her and her feet tucked beneath her. One hand gripped the arm rest while the other rested on her stomach. Her visitor smiled without backing down.

"We're going for a walk" Merric told her cheerfully, stepping aside as a maid entered with garments thrown over her arm.

"Excuse me?" Kel asked, confused and annoyed with his assumptions that she would want to accompany him or anyone else anywhere.

"We are going for a walk. I stopped yesterday to help a Page who looked lost and in helping him find his way around, I stumbled over the tailor's wing. Have you been?" Merric asked enthusiastically.

"Of course. Every Page ends up there for their uniforms" Kel retorted.

"No. I'm talking about the wing where the nobility gowns and personal seamstresses work. It's where the weavers are and the embroiderers and the silks and satins and furs are stored. Come on, Kel. It's somewhere new that you haven't seen and it beats sitting caged up in your apartments like you've been quarantined" the knight pleaded.

"Why are you so insistent? Why can't we just play chess?" she asked, her voice ending in a sigh.

"Because you have spent the days since Dom left in your rooms. You have barely eaten and you're avoiding everyone. Neal is worried about you but since you threw him out of your rooms yesterday, he thought I would make a better opponent for you." Merric took a seat across from her and watched as the maids tidied the room and removed the meal trays.

"Look" Kel insisted, " I know you all think this is about Dom being sent out, but it's not. I'm tired and uncomfortable and my bladder seems to have shrunk to the size of a pea. I don't feel like sitting in a room full of diplomats or people I have to watch my words around. I have grown tired of walking the halls and having mothers and grandmothers stop me and ask about how I am."

"We know you're frustrated" Merric told her, "and I know you're itching to be in the practice yards with a lance or a sword in your hand. But Kel, this is just as important. This does not diminish your abilities or what you have achieved. Showing the court and the world that you're a woman in every sense of the word does not make you less of a knight."

"Thank you" she told him softly.

"For what?" he asked, slightly shocked.

"For coming instead of Neal" she joked.

"So will you come with me?" Merric asked, calling the maids out of the bedroom.

"Fine" she said grudgingly but with a smile, "I'll go."

* * *

Kel eyed the staircase in front of her warily. She had faced spridrens, centaurs and mages alike in her young years and the gaze she turned on the current hurdle in front of her was no different.

"We probably should have considered the difficulty of going back up" Merric contemplated with a hint of mirth as Kel glared at him.

"We?" she asked. "I am the pregnant woman who allowed you to convince me of this little excursion. You should have considered this all on your own."

"That won't solve the problem Kel." Merric bit his lip to keep from laughing as he watched his friend consider her options as if she were heading into battle.

She was right though. He should have considered how hard it would be for her to climb back up the winding staircase that had led them to the Tailor's Wing of the palace. He waited and watched as she quickly considered and discarded the ideas that came to her mind, the slight flicker of an eyebrow giving away her thoughts. Merric knew it would only be a matter of time before she gave in and let him help.

"We are going to turn to stone down here if you don't hurry up" Merric told her a few moments later.

"Fine" she told him with a half hearted sigh, taking his offered arm and beginning to mount the staircase.

"It wouldn't hurt for you to let people help without an argument, you know" Merric suggested as they stopped for a break.

"I'm not arguing" Kel told him tightly and for a moment he thought he saw her wince.

"How about you have a seat-" Kel cut him off.

"I'm fine. Just tired. Let's just get this done so I can go have a nap" she told him.

Merric shook his head at her stubbornness as they ascended the stairs.

* * *

Kel woke later to darkness and confusion, unsure of what had woken her.

Then it hit her. She gasped as the contraction rolled through her body.

"No, no, no" she told herself in a slightly panicked voice. "It's too early. It's too early. Neal said-" she gasped as the unrelenting pain intensified.

Fumbling in the dark beside her bed, her clumsy fingers closed around the small globe of glass that Duke Baird had given her when they had arrived back from Masbolle. It was connected to the infirmary. Speaking the word he had taught her to trigger the magic, she replaced it on the table.

Trying to push the blankets back, another contraction hit her.

This time she knew something wasn't normal.

* * *

Neal was roused by a persistent knock at his door.

Throwing the blankets back and trying not to disturb Yuki, he grabbed his breeches of the floor. Shoving his legs into his pants, he yanked open the door to see the pale face of a Novice Healer.

"What is it?" Neal asked harshly, rubbing a hand over the stubble on his jaw.

"His Grace needs your presence in the infirmary" the young girl stammered and Neal noticed a streak of blood on her shirt sleeve.

"I can assume that, young lady. I want to know what it is that my father has so ungraciously woken me from my sleep" Neal told her, leaning against the door.

"There is a complication, my Lord" she hurried, stepping back as Neal emerged from the doorway, throwing a shirt over his head and taking the smock she offered him.

"With who, child?" he asked, annoyed at how she seemed to assume he knew what she was rambling on about.

"The Lady Keladry, Sir" the girl told him and flinched when he turned quickly around to glare at her. Before he could open his mouth she hurriedly finished her sentence, "His Grace thinks she's in labor."

Neal ran and left the Novice behind to catch up.


	24. Chapter 24

_**Disclaimer:** I religuish all to Tamora Pierce._

**CHAPTER 24**

Kel wanted Dom.

The chaos of the infirmary was pressing in on her from all sides and those figures hovering above her had become insignificant blurs of color. The ache that had begun behind her eyes during her walk with Merric had intensified since waking to an excruciating migraine. Color exploded behind her vision as another contraction rippled through her.

She heard voices around her. Hurried and hushed tones of the healers who were failing miserably at convincing her everything was under control. She fought back the tears as she prayed to the Mother Goddess to save her child.

"Kel, look at me" Neal ordered as he appeared in her line of sight.

She struggled to sit up, grasping for his hand that was almost as familiar as her husband's. Griping it in both her hands, she let the tears fall as another wave of pain swept through her. Green air sparkled and the pain subsided as Neal pushed it aside. She turned fever bright eyes on him.

"Good girl" he told her gently, pushing the hair back from her face. "I need you to stay calm so we can work." His voice was soothing and Kel clung to it.

"What's happening? Why is it so early?" she whispered, voice hoarse from built up pain.

"We think you ruptured the membranes around the baby. You wouldn't have even noticed and you probably did it a couple of days ago. But because no one noticed, infection set in. It sent the baby into distress" Neal explained.

"But you can fix it. It's too early. He's too little to come now" Kel panicked, laying a hand on her belly while Neal squeezed her other hand.

"We're going to try to stop the labor and then we are going to get the infection under control. Don't worry about the baby- our bigger problem is you. I need you sleep for me. Can you do it without fighting me?" he asked in an attempt to keep her calm.

She gave him a small smile before frowning.

"You need to tell Dom!" she realized, sitting up only to have Neal push her back down.

"Father already sent a messenger. He won't be here for a couple of days but he will come. Now, rest" Neal ordered her gently as his hand flicked over her eyes.

She forgot what she wanted to tell him as sleep overtook her.

* * *

Yuki found her husband in the Healer's wing that night. His eyes were ringed with red and lack of sleep, his hair ruffled and unkempt. The faint lines around his eyes were more distinct in the flickering candlelight.

"I brought you dinner" she told him softly, placing a plate and jug of wine on the desk in front of him before taking a stool. "I figured you hadn't eaten yet."

He shook his head and quickly glanced towards the bed on the other side of the room before kissing his wife briefly on the lips. She had seen his gaze shift.

"How is she?" she whispered, mindful of where they were.

He glanced back toward the bed where Kel lay sleeping and sighed.

"She'll keep the child but for how long, I don't know. Father stopped the labor and we managed to get most of the infection out but it still lingers slightly. Her fever has yet to break. We'll watch her and if there are any further complications, we have ways of forcing labor." Neal sighed and took another drink from his wine cup.

"Is that safe? Bringing a babe into the world before it's due?" Yuki asked, rearranging her skirts.

"She's far enough along that I think it would be alright. We're more worried about Kel at the moment than the baby" Neal explained, and halted his movements as he saw the Lady Knight shift in her bed.

Getting up he made his way across the room and went to her bedside. Yuki stayed back. Neal let a hand settle on the thinly robed figure of his friend and felt the baby flutter beneath his hand. He then moved his hand to her forehead where he found her fever to be raging. Sighing he drew the blankets up further. A hand grasped his wrist.

"Dom?" Kel asked sleepily, as Neal tucked her hands beneath the blankets and offered her water.

"No word yet" he told her gently.

"He'll come" she whispered, falling back to sleep.

* * *

Dom heard a commotion outside his tent just as the sun rose. Pushing back the flap he emerged, buckling his sword while holding his shirt in his hand. A messenger, still mounted, was entering the campsite.

"Captain Domitan of Masbolle?" the man asked in a voice that told Dom he knew who he was.

"Yes. Can I help you with something?" Dom threw the shirt over his head and used one hand to settle it around his shoulders as the other reached to grasp the parchment held out to him by the messenger.

Opening it wordlessly, Dom read in silence- his heart quickening with every line. His men watched the blood drain from his face. Looking up he glanced around the audience until he saw Corporal Wolset shouldering his way to the front.

"Corporal! Find my Lord Commander and ask him to meet me in my tent as soon as possible. Sergeant Huntington! Ready my horse- I'm leaving within the hour." Without addressing the messenger in front of him Dom turned and let the tent flap fall behind him as he began to pack.

Minutes later Raoul entered.

"Wolset said you wished to see me. That you had received a message and were riding for Corus. I am assuming not everything is alright" Raoul said as he watched his Captain don mail and leather for the road. His saddle bags were packed and waiting by the entrance to the tent and his maps and papers were neatly bundled on the travel desk.

"Neal sent a message from Corus sometime yesterday. The messenger rode all night to find us. Kel's gone into labor from some kind of complication that Neal didn't explain. He just said that I should try to get home. I'm not going to try- I am riding for Corus" Dom informed his commander and he placed his helmet on his head and threw the cloak around his shoulders.

"How bad is it?" Raoul asked, knowing that Dom would normally never get this wound up over a message from Neal. Usually. But since hearing he was going to be a father, he had been on edge every time they were called out.

"Bad. Neal sent the messenger himself. Everything you will need is on my desk. You should be back in Corus by the end of the week anyway. I will follow up then." Dom picked his bags up off the floor and held the flap open to allow Raoul to exit the tent.

"Don't worry about the Company for now. Just get home. Take one of the men with you" Raoul insisted as he held Dom's horse so he could mount.

Dom merely nodded and dug his heels into his horse's flanks and turned him toward the road.

* * *

Neal watched from his desk as the heat returned to Kel's cheeks. Sighing he looked toward the door at the sound of quick footsteps. A young squire stopped and bowed before handing Neal the message he bore.

"My Lord of King's Reach was in the stables and told the messenger I would find you and deliver it for him" the young boy took a deep breath and Neal realized the boy wore the colors and crest of the mentioned fief.

"Has someone paid the man?" Neal asked as he unrolled the hurriedly written letter in Dom's handwriting.

"My Lord did" the boy told him.

'_Neal- I am less than a day's ride from Corus. The snow has forced me to take shelter for the night but tell her I will be there tomorrow. Tell her I love her and take care of her. –Dom.'_

Neal placed the letter on the desk and noticed the boy was waiting to be dismissed. Nodding at him, the boy scampered off. Rising from his chair, Neal went to Kel and replaced the damp washcloth on her forehead. She opened blurry eyes that were heavy with sleep.

"He's coming" Neal told her softly before sending her back to sleep.

* * *

_A/N: Wow, the last set of reviews were very...ummm...passionate? Haha. Thanks for the support. Just a few more. -Jez_


	25. Chapter 25

_**Disclaimer:** All belongs to Tamora Pierce._

**CHAPTER 25**

"I shouldn't have taken her out yesterday" Merric told Neal with regret.

Neal shook his head at his friend and resumed his task of pacing the hallway. Every few minutes he would glance at the door to the infirmary as if expecting someone to appear at the door. His father had relieved him after a full night's sleep but Neal couldn't bring himself to leave the wing of the palace.

"It's not your fault. She probably did it days ago and not necessarily from anything stressful. It just happens. The infection is mostly gone so we'll keep her here for a day or so and then move her back to her rooms. The hard part will be keeping her in that bed." Neal looked toward the door as a healer exited the room, shot Neal a look of exasperation and continued down the hall.

"For how long?" Merric asked, yanking Neal's attention back to their conversation.

"A couple of weeks, just enough to get her strength back up. After that Baby Healer Masbolle can come whenever he wishes" Neal said.

"Everyone keeps referring to the baby as a boy. Do you really know for sure?" Merric asked, curious as Neal laughed.

"No, but Kel keeps referring to it as a boy so I think it's just become habit for everyone." Neal turned at the sound of quick and heavy footsteps coming from the opposite direction.

"Neal!" Dom called, pulling his helmet off his head and unfastening his cloak. He handed them to the small page that was hurrying to keep up with him. "Where is she?"

"She sleeping" Neal told his cousin, telling the page to see to it that dinner was brought to the infirmary for the Captain. "I didn't expect you until sunset."

"We rode as hard as we could once the snow let up and we reached clear roads. What happened?" Dom accepted the water Neal offered.

"She went into early labor due to some complications. We got everything under control but she had us worried there for a little while. Like I said, she's resting now." Neal noticed a healer appear at the door.

"So the baby's okay? She's okay?" Dom visibly relaxed when he saw Neal nod.

"They're both fine. She's going to be on bed rest for the next couple of weeks and the baby is probably not going to wait until the end of January like we thought but they are both fine for right now" Neal explained before motioning to the healer at the door to speak.

"My Lord, she's asking for you" the healer said, looking at Neal.

"Well, I think she'd rather see someone else" Neal said with a wink at Dom, pushing him toward the door.

* * *

Sunlight flowed through the tall windows of the infirmary, cutting paths across the floor and empty beds. It sparkled on the jars set on shelves along the walls and reflected against the clean crispness of the white sheets.

Kel's bed was in the back, set into the shadows where the light didn't beat into her eyes. Dom couldn't help but grin as his boot heels clicked on the polished floor. Reaching her bed, his smile wavered as he took in her pale face and limp hair. She was propped up with pillows but her head was tilted back and for a moment he thought she had drifted back to sleep. He reached for the hand that rested on her belly.

Her eyes flicked open.

"Hey, Beautiful" Dom whispered, taking a seat on the edge of the bed and reaching up to place a kiss on her lips. She grinned and closed her eyes.

"I knew you'd come" she told him, her eyes still closed.

"Of course. Not even Spidrens could keep me away" he told her gently.

"I'm sure you dealt with them before you left" she murmured, resting her head again. Dom laughed.

"We would have been leaving the day after your message came anyway. I just got a head start." He brushed her hair back and rested his hand on her belly, kissing his child through the sheets.

"I was scared" she told him, opening her eyes and squeezing his hand.

"I know. But Neal says everything is working out and with some rest you and the baby will be perfectly healthy. Only a couple weeks left."

"He's confining me to bed" she said grumpily and Dom had to grin at the fact that she sounded displeased.

"But at least it will be our bed. I already spoke to him. You stay here tonight and tomorrow we will take you back to our rooms" Dom told her.

"You'll stay here tonight?" she asked, giving in to sleep.

"I wouldn't think of going anywhere else" he told her.

* * *

_A/N: Ok, so it's short- But I needed to end this part and it just seemed to fit. Only a few chapters left so keep up the reviews!_


	26. Chapter 26

_**Disclaimer:**__ All belongs to Tamora Pierce_.

**Chapter 26**

"You bought him a puppy."

Neal's voice was flat. Noncommittal. As if Kel had asked him to consider the politics surrounding Kyprish import laws. He sounded neither angered or excited or uncertain. Just flat.

"You bought my infant son a puppy for Midwinter."

Kel cocked her head and raised an eyebrow. There was that response again. She glanced at her husband and then back at Neal. He had repeated those words in various forms, in the same voice, half a dozen times now and he had yet to register any kind of emotion. It didn't bode well.

"We bought Cai a puppy. Neal please say something else" Dom urged his cousin as he watched him.

The puppy in question sat at Neal's feet, wagging his slender tale and panting. His golden fur was cropped close and while he still remained small enough to hold in the palm of an adult hand, his paws displayed the likeliness of growing substantially larger. Cai was trying to capture his attention with a ball that refused to roll in a straight line.

"But it's a puppy."

"And you are a human. We have established our species." Dom took a step toward the animal and something resembling emotion flashed in Neal's eyes.

"What am I supposed to do with a puppy, Dom?" Now Neal sounded angry.

"Well, you feed it and let it run and-" Dom's sarcastic answer was cut off by Neal's rage being unable to remain contained.

"I know what you do with it! I want to know why you thought it was a good idea!"

Cai jerked his head up at the sound of his father's harsh voice and started to cry when the dog barked. Neal sighed in frustration.

"Bring them over here" Kel said patiently from the chair where she was now permitted to sit for short periods of time.

It had been two weeks since Neal had placed her on bed rest and since the baby had reached full term, it was no longer harmful for her to be up and around. Her size and low energy levels kept her mostly confined to her rooms and the halls.

"He is going to chew everything! He isn't even housebroken!" Neal stormed on while Kel laid back and tried to regain her patience.

Cai continued to wail and the dog's barking and whining only got louder. Kel closed her eyes and prayed to all the gods above. She felt the baby shift in her belly and winced as it let go a rough kick.

"Neal, you should be getting ready to attend Prince Liam's ordeal." Kel kept her voice low, hoping to calm Neal's normally easy going personality. Yuki's recent announcement of another child on the way had seemed to send him closer to the edge than normal.

"I'm not going until you agree to take it back!" he yelled at Dom as his son continued to hiccup tiny tears.

"Don't yell while Kel is in the room!" Dom yelled back.

Kel rolled her eyes and took a quick intake of breath while she felt another kicking sensation in her abdomen followed by rippling pain that radiated across her hips. The men in the room didn't seem to notice even when she shifted her position.

"Than take back the gift!"

"He's our godschild. We can give him what we want. You can't take it back!"

Kel moved again as the contractions- which she was quite certain that they were- dissipated for the moment.

"I am not Kel! I do not take in stray animals! I give them to her!" Neal took a breath but didn't feel his frustration leave as he registered his son's crying. Picking him up, he bounced and cooed while shooting glares at Dom.

"He wouldn't be crying if you weren't yelling!" Dom shot back as he picked up the cowering puppy and plopped him in Kel's lap. She winced.

"I wouldn't be yelling if you hadn't bought him a puppy!"

"Someone hand me the baby." Kel attempted to interrupt the conversation. They ignored her and she felt the onslaught of a headache and another contraction. "Stop yelling!"

"You're stressing her out! You know it's bad for her!" Dom snapped at Neal as he moved closer to his wife.

"But she bought him a puppy!"

"STOP YELLING!"

Every living thing in the room froze. Every living thing in the room looked at Kel. Every living thing in the room watched Kel's fingers turn white as her face as she closed her eyes and breathed through the current contraction while gripping the arms of the chair. Not a sound was made until her color returned and she released the death grip on the chair. When she finally opened her eyes, Neal finally spoke.

"You're in labor." His voice has returned to flat, noncommittal regions of thought and speech.

"Apparently" she replied, slightly sarcastic.

"I told you not to stress her out" Dom said, as if it had not quite registered that his wife was about to give birth.

Kel and Neal both glared at him.

The puppy hid under the bed.

* * *

"If you are going to pace like that for the next several hours, please advise me and I will go elsewhere."

Dom eyed his father-in-law and paused in his incessant pacing of the waiting area outside the infirmary.

"Several hours?" he asked, gulping to swallow the lump in his throat.

"It's a possibility."

"But that's completely-" Dom was cut off from answering by his cousin swinging open the door. "How is she?" Dom rushed forward.

"It's coming. I need you to come in with me" Neal said, wiping his hands on the healer's smock that he wore.

"But you all told me that I wasn't allowed to be-" again Dom was interrupted.

"That was before she broke the novice's hand and sprained an apprentice's wrist. Now everyone refuses to hold her hand" Neal grinned maliciously.

Dom swallowed hard and followed him into the room.

* * *

Early morning light cut a path across the infirmary's stone floor, falling across the beds of patients. It fell on the open door of a private room, letting just enough light in that the man standing in the doorway could make out the dim shadowed outlines of the room's occupants.

A man leaned against the wall, his chair resting on two legs and his feet propped up on the spotless bed covers. His hand gripped a bag spelled to remain ice cold. His hair had the look of someone who had combed it nervously for hours on end but the smile that tugged at his lips showed contentment.

The woman that rested on the bed had her head turned towards him, her hair newly combed and braided and a clean nightgown and dressing gown showed her to be refreshed and at ease. She held a small child in her arms, tight to her breast.

As the man in the doorway shifted, a new shaft of light glinted on the coal black locks of the baby's hair, contrasting against the pale pinkness of its new skin. It yawned for a moment, blinking rapidly before settling against his mother again and for a moment the man at the door caught the sight of sapphire blue eyes. He moved from the door and into the room, the sound of his boot heels waking the mother.

"What time is it?" she asked warily, gazing into her child's face.

"Just before the breakfast bells" Neal told her softly.

"Did you notify their majesties?"

"Yes. And Raoul. Dom's parents are coming from the townhouse this morning." His movements were slow and quiet as he moved about the room.

"We had already named him" Kel said softly, with a mischievous smile.

"Oh?"

"Yes. Fiereji." She watched her friend's face as he worked his tongue around the foreign name.

"Fiereji. And it means?"

"Loyal companion. We thought it fitting for a puppy." Kel laughed at the surprised look on Neal's face as he registered what she meant.

"The puppy." Neal had almost forgotten about the damned thing. Almost. Until just before he climbed into bed just after the third morning bell and he had to remove it from his pillow. "Fiereji, it is then. But he is not sleeping on my pillow. I will not have him becoming a second Jump, who thinks he can do as he pleases."

"Of course." Kel felt a smile pull at her lips but didn't want to laugh and wake Dom.

"So did you name your son? Or am I too name him Dom the Younger and make him suffer as Sir Gareth did?" Neal grinned at Kel's glare.

"No one will call my son, Domitan the Younger" she said between clenched teeth. It was the only name she had thoroughly fought Dom's parents on during their Midwinter visit to the city.

"So what did you decide on? What shall the poor mite born to the Lady Knight and the King's Own Captain be called?" Neal gazed at the small child who had so much to live up to.

"Landon."

* * *

_A/N: So one last chapter to go. I'm sorry it took so long but it's summer! And I love the beach! And I am trying to finish Glass Castles on FictionPress. But I promise this story will be done by the end of the week. Tomorrow night if you are all good and review!_

_-Jez_


	27. Chapter 27

_**Disclaimer**__: I surrender all to Tamora Pierce._

**Chapter 27**

Merric of Hollyrose leaned against the iron wrought grid that wound around the window's panes of glass. Tilting his head, he looked down at the practice grounds and grinned as he watched the training master lecture the pages on winter packing. He could almost hear the words as if Wyldon of Cavall had been speaking them more than ten years ago to a group of eager children that included the first lady page.

The knight's attention was drawn back to his surroundings, high above the practice courts. He was surrounded by nobles on all sides and even some commoners although they looked extremely out of place. Something wiggled between his legs and Merric looked down to see Neal's damned puppy being chased by Cai as the child waddled after it.

"It's almost surreal, isn't it?" came Neal's sarcastic drawl. The Healer drained his wine goblet and took another from a young squire with a tray. "It seems as if we all grew up and somehow missed the steps along the way."

Merric could only nod and look beyond Neal to where Kel's back was visible amid a crowd of cooing mothers and girls. Neal could feel the sense of Déjà vu envelope the crowd as he watched from the standpoint of guest, where almost a year ago he had been the father.

"It always felt like no matter how much the rest of us tried, she was always leaving us behind" Merric finally answered. "She was always trying to prove that she could do everything and Dom was always trying to prove that being a second son did not put him in second place. I always wondered what would-" He stopped mid sentence as the object of his musings came towards him carrying her child and leading a young woman by the hand.

"Merric, have you met Lady Cistrine of Fox's Hollow? She has recently been added to the Queen's Ladies" Kel informed her friend, smirking as the girl dropped a deep curtsy.

Merric lost all sense of thought, reason or the ability to form conversation. She was quite beautiful but he could already tell that her personality and wit outshone her looks.

"My Lady" he finally spit out, flushing only shades lighter than his hair.

"My Lord. My father's fief is merely leagues from the Swoop. We heard what you did at the gates" she said demurely, pausing to look up through her lashes.

Merric lost the one sentence he had managed to form. Something about duty or something equally useless now that he had been rendered mute.

"I can understand why my lord and lady of Masbolle would name you Godsfather to their son" Cistrine said in genuine interest.

Merric smiled. Kel had made good on her promise. She had refused to make Owen a Godsfather yet, claiming he still needed a parent most of the time. No, she had insisted, Merric deserved it. Nobody dared to argue with her.

"I am honored to share the duty with her Highness" Merric finally felt his intelligence return to him.

Shinko had been named the other half of Landon's Godsparents. Thinking of the princess, Merric looked up to realize that Kel had disappeared. He inwardly grinned and offered Cistrine his arm.

"Would you care to accompany me to the temple, My Lady?" he asked, grinning as she smiled her reply.

* * *

The temple was dimly lit by the candles at the altar as Kel and Dom held their child before the priests of the Mother Goddess and Mithros. Immediately behind them stood the Princess and Merric. The guests flooded the chairs beyond the altar.

"I ask the Great Mother and her shining brother Mithros to grant mercy on this child and lead him along the path of righteousness and peace. I ask that each of you add your own wishes to those of the beings that guide us" the priest instructed the four nobles gathered before him.

Dom looked to Merric to start.

"I ask that you grant him the bravery to face adversaries big and small, seen and unseen, physical and otherwise." Merric's voice resonated against the pitched roof.

"I ask that he be given the grace to treat all equally in the face of tradition, society and his peers." Shinko took a step back, leaving Kel and Dom alone with Landon.

"I ask that he find peace and joy, even when surrounded by darkness." Dom kissed his son's forehead, watching his wife's eyes glistened with tears.

Kel finally stood before the altar and bowed her head over her son. Closing her eyes, she found the peace within herself that had settled there the day Neal had handed her Landon for the first time. She felt her heart swell every time she saw him. She smiled as she raised her head to gaze at the icon of the Mother Goddess before blessing her son before the crowd.

"I ask that he make his own path and trust the possibilities of where it could lead."

* * *

_**A/N:** I want to thank those who have reviewed and encouraged an ending and those that followed it faithfully._

_-Jez_


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